Rape occurs when a person is forced to have sex against their will. Rape affects all ages, genders and sexual orientations. Rape can leave both physical and emotional scars. It is important to get counseling as soon as possible to avoid serious emotional complications.
Rape is a form of sexual assault in which a person (man, woman or child) is forced to engage in sexual relations (vaginal, anal or oral) against his or her will or without having given consent. Often an attacker will use physical force in committing rape; however, rape also occurs when someone uses threats of violence or emotional force or manipulation to engage an individual in sex.
All rape is wrong and illegal. If you have been raped, you are the victim of sexual assault. You’re never to blame for the actions of the perpetrator.
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More than 433,000 Americans ages 12 and older experience rape or sexual assault every year. It’s estimated that a sexual assault occurs every 73 seconds. Sexual assaults affect all ages and genders:
If you’re drunk or high, the law considers you to be too impaired to legally give consent to sexual interactions with another person. In addition, the law considers people legally incapable of agreeing to sex if they are:
Consent is also a must even if you’re married to, dating or in a relationship with someone. No one may force you to engage in sexual relations even if you’ve voluntarily had sex with that person in the past. If they do, it is wrong and a crime.
There can be significant negative effects of rape. Some are obvious, some are less so. Common effects include:
Some assailants use drugs to make a victim less likely to fight back or more likely to black out (lose consciousness). A rapist may slip these drugs — called date-rape drugs — into your drink without your knowledge. You can’t always tell if someone has spiked your drink (put drugs in it) simply by looking at or tasting the beverage.
You can lower your risk of consuming date-rape drugs by:
It’s important to seek medical care if you’re sexually assaulted. The hospital will contact the police. You should talk to the police to ensure you have the option to press charges. You can make that decision later. Even if you do not wish to press charges, it is important to go to the emergency room for treatment.
At the hospital, a healthcare provider will:
Rape can happen to anyone. These steps may lower your chances of a sexual assault:
Rape can leave both physical and emotional scars. Many rape survivors feel like the rape is their fault. Rape is never the victim’s fault, but feelings of guilt can prevent someone from getting help.
Sometimes the emotional effects of rape occur weeks or months later. Counseling can help one deal with the emotional symptoms (guilt, fear, depression, anxiety) of having endured a traumatic event. In addition, many survivors of rape find help through support groups.
It is important to get counseling for yourself as soon as possible to manage serious emotional complications, even if you choose not to press charges against your attacker.
Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1.800.656.4673) at any time of day or night.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/03/2021.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy