Rape

What should I do if I've been sexually assaulted?

The UCLA Rape Treatment Center provides the following suggestions to follow immediately after a sexual assault:

  • Go to a safe place.
  • If you want to report the crime, notify the police immediately. Reporting the crime can help you regain a sense of personal power and control.
  • Call a friend, a family member, or someone else you trust who can be with you and give you support.
  • Preserve all physical evidence of the assault. Do not shower, bathe, douche, eat, drink, wash your hands, or brush your teeth until after you have had a medical examination. Save all of the clothing you were wearing at the time of the assault. Place each item of clothing in a separate paper bag. Do not use plastic bags. Do not clean or disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred.
  • Get medical care as soon as possible.  Go to a hospital emergency department or a specialized forensic clinic that provides treatment for sexual assault victims. Even if you think that you do not have any physical injuries, you should still have a medical examination and discuss with a health care provider the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted infections and the possibility of pregnancy resulting from the sexual assault.  Having a medical exam is also a way for you to preserve physical evidence of a sexual assault.
  • If you suspect that you may have been given a "rape drug," ask the hospital or clinic where you receive medical care to take a urine sample.  Drugs, such as Rohypnol and GHB, are more likely to be detected in urine than in blood.
  • Write down as much as you can remember about the circumstances of the assault, including a description of the assailant.
  • Get information whenever you have questions or concerns.  After a sexual assault, you have a lot of choices and decisions to make - e.g., about getting medical care, making a police report, and telling other people.  You may have concerns about the impact of the assault and the reactions of friends and family members.  You can get information by calling a rape crisis center, a hotline, or other victim assistance agencies. 
Talk with a counselor who is trained to assist rape victims.  Counseling can help you learn how to cope with the emotional and physical impacts of the assault. You can find a counselor by contacting a local rape crisis center, a hotline, a counseling service, other victim assistance agencies, or RAINN.  RAINN is a national victim assistance organization, at 1-800-656-HOPE.  RAINN will connect you to a rape crisis center in your area.

 

The information on this website is for general educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for professional counseling. If your situation is an emergency, please call 911.