7 Effects of Rape, What to do After!
Now and then, we hear stories of rape and domestic abuse meted out to our vulnerable women. We have seen stories of girls being raped in schools, at homes, in churches (imagine the effrontery), in hospitals, and basically, every place we can think of. Hence, a lot needs to be done to stem the growing menace.
What is Rape
According to Wikipedia, Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without that person’s consent. Know that it is not only a feminine issue. It applies to both males and females alike. Although the common victims are females.
Nonsense Things People Say About Rape
There are a few nonsense things that some individuals say to make it appear okay, but Rape is rape and there is no justification for it. A few of these things are shown below:
1: You can Identify a rapist by the way the person looks or what the person does.
Fact: There’s no way to know a rapist. Most of them are just normal people. They are completely normal, charming, and friendly, with no threats at all.
2: Those who were raped were at the wrong place and wrong time:
Fact: This is complete nonsense, everyone has the right to be where they want to be and when they want to be. A lot of recent rape incidents happen in public places like churches, schools, etc.
3: She went to the guy’s house, so it wasn’t Rape.
Fact: This is another misconception about rape. That a lady goes to a guy’s house does not automatically translate as consent to have sex.
4: People who are raped are responsible for it due to the way they dress.
Fact: This is another misconception. Rape is mostly a crime of opportunity. How a person dress has no signboard or placard saying “I want to be raped”. Most people who are raped dress decently.
5: It’s not raped if you are in a relationship with the person or if you’ve had sex with the person before.
Fact: This is completely untrue. The fact that you’ve previously had sex with someone doesn’t give them rights to your body. Not even your husband or your wife. If your spouse or boyfriend forces sex against your will, it is still rape.
6: They deserve Rape due to the type of company They keep
Fact: This is another rubbish saying. No one deserves rape. No one at all.
What are the Effects of Rape on A Woman
Every woman or girl who has been raped goes through so much more than just the pain of the Rape. A few of these are as follows;
- Pain: Victims of rape go through so much pain, both at the point of intercourse and after the incident. Some ladies suffer so many bruises, both physically & mentally due to the force of abuse, & the reckless nature of the event. Sex which is known to be a pleasurable event becomes torture.
- Risk of STI: over 90% of rape are usually done without protection. Due to this unsafe sex, the lady is at the risk of contracting various sexually transmitted infections such as Syphilis, HPV (which is responsible for genital warts & also Cervical cancer), Hepatitis, Gonorrhea (which could cause her infertility in the future), HIV & AIDS.
- Unwanted Pregnancy: Again, as a result of the unprotected sexual intercourse, the woman could become pregnant, and as a result, bear the fruits of rape which were sown in her 9 months before, and she would have to look at that face for the rest of her life.
- Negative Outlook: due to the incident, she would be seen as already broken. She would feel damaged, and filthy. She would lose her sense of self-esteem & confidence & could live in fear for the rest of her life.
- Depression: This sets in as she’s left alone with her burden and no one to express it to, she feels she has disappointed her loved ones and that loneliness alone could become toxic.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): this is a medical condition that comes up as a result of trauma. The person lives in fear of the incident ever happening again. In this case, she becomes scared of the male gender and feels endangered around them due to her previous experience.
- Suicidal Thoughts: Some ladies who are victims of rape could develop suicidal thoughts. Some could even act upon this thought due to the loss of self-esteem and feeling of self-worth.
No woman should ever have to go through this!
Rape Victims: What to do after Rape
Rape is a very bitter experience for those who have gone through this. Hence, victims of this need to be understood, be taken care of. The following should be done after an incident of rape.
- Go to a safe place: The first thing that you must do is to leave that place and find yourself a safe place.
- Tell what has happened to Somebody: Try to reach somebody you know and trust and tell them what has happened while the story is still fresh in your head. we know this could be very difficult & tormenting to recap what has happened, but it is very important because it could be needed in the police investigation and as a testimony in court.
- Preserve evidence of the rape. It is completely normal for you to want to bathe or wash after an incidence of rape, but if you do this, you could wash away all the physical evidence of the rape such as blood, semen, saliva, or hair. You could visit any hospital nearby if you sustained any injuries & see a doctor.
- Decide If to report the rape or not: We know that you are going to be very confused & traumatized at this time, but you have to decide if you want to report the rape incident to the police or not because the sooner you are examined by a doctor, the more chances of finding a shred of physical evidence that can be linked to the rapist.
- Medication: After reporting or deciding not to report the incident, you have to get medicine to help you prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- Get support to help you recover: You can find support with family or friends or with available support groups. If you do get pregnant or have an STI, you should seek follow-up medical care and counselling.
Share the awareness today!!
Say no to Rape!!
