Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Sexual Abuse or Assault (Rape)
About this symptom
If you feel threatened or need immediate help:
- Call
. - If you have been
assaulted:
- Call the police immediately or a health professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or counselor.
- Remember the assault (rape) was not your fault.
- Find a safe environment—anywhere away from the attacker.
- Preserve evidence of the attack—do not change clothes, eat, drink, smoke, bathe, brush teeth, or clean up in any way. Write down all the details about the attack and the attacker.
- Get medical attention. Even with no physical injuries, it is important to determine the risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, or HIV. To preserve evidence, ask the hospital to do a special exam (called a forensic medical exam). If you think you may have been drugged, ask that a urine sample be taken.
- Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline toll-free (1-800-656-4673) for free, confidential counseling.
- Call the National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline toll-free (1-866-331-9474) or (1-866-331-8453 TTY).
- Find local resources that can help in a crisis. Your local rape crisis center or hotline, YMCA, YWCA, police department, mental health clinic, or hospital can help you.
- Be alert to warning signs, such as threats or drunkenness, so that you can avoid a dangerous situation.
- If a child tells you he or she has been sexually abused or assaulted, stay calm. Tell the child that you believe him or her and that you will do your best to keep him or her safe. Report the abuse or assault to the local police or a child protective services agency. For more information, see the topic Child Abuse and Neglect.
If you have been a victim of abuse and continue to have problems related to the abuse, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For more information, see the topic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment
If you are concerned that sexual abuse or assault has occurred, use the Check Your Symptoms section to decide if and when you should see a doctor or get other help.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 28, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Brigid McCaw, MD, MS, MPH, FACP - Family Violence Prevention | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
