Rape (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Sexual assault

Rape happens when a person has sex that he or she didn't agree to. It includes intercourse in the vagina, anus or mouth. Sometimes it happens when one person forces another to have sex. Sometimes this involves violence. It can also happen when the victim can't think clearly due to drugs or alcohol.

Rape is a felony offense. This means it is one the worst crimes a person can commit. Rape can happen to men, women or children. It causes both physical and emotional harm. If you have been raped, it's important to get away as fast as you can. Then call 911 or the police or get to the nearest hospital.

National Women's Health Information Center

Start Here

Rape: What to Do If You Are Raped(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/crisis/314.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/crisis/314.printerview.html
Sexual Assault(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/faq/sexual-assault.cfm

Overviews

Rape and Date Rape(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/violence/hic_rape_and_date_rape.aspx

Prevention/Screening

Self-Defense(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/self_defense.html

Coping

Answers in the Aftermath(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA05-4027/lovedoneforprint.asp
Common Reactions After Trauma(National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_commonreactions.html
Supporting the Survivor(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA05-4028/victimforprint.asp

Related Issues

Date Rape Drugs(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/faq/date-rape-drugs.cfm
Rohypnol and GHB(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/RohypnolGHB.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Rohypnol-Sp.html

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Rape(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Rape%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Inmate's HIV-transmission, disclosure complaint dismissed. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19348072&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Sexual violence and use of contraception among women with unwanted... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19271397&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Factors associated with suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19255075&tool=MedlinePlus
Rape -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=rape[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

Definitions of Sexual Assault(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZMR97EKEC&sub_cat=351

Directories

Sexual Violence Prevention: Resource Information(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/SV/svp-resources.htm
Violence against Women: State Domestic Violence Resources(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/violence/state/

Organizations

Dept. of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women - http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/
MaleSurvivor: National Organization against Male Sexual Victimization - http://www.malesurvivor.org/
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/injury/
National Center for PTSD - http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/

Statistics

Rape Rates(Dept. of Justice) - http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/rape.htm
Sexual Violence(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/SV/SVDataSheet.pdf

Teenagers

Date Rape(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/relationships/date_rape.html
What Is Rape and Date Rape?(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://www.girlshealth.gov/safety/saferelationships/daterape.cfm

Men

Male Sexual Victimization Myths & Facts(MaleSurvivor: National Organization against Male Sexual Victimization) - http://www.malesurvivor.org/myths.html
Men and Sexual Trauma(National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - http://ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_male_sexual_assault.html

Women

Sexual Assault against Females(National Center for PTSD) - http://ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_female_sex_assault.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Domestic Violence - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/domesticviolence.html
Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
Social/Family Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/socialfamilyissues.html
Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html