What to do if you are raped
- 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 and can also help to ensure the safety of other potential victims.
- Call a friend, a family member, or someone else you trust and ask her or him to stay with you.
- Preserve all physical evidence of the assault. Do not shower, bathe, douche, or brush your teeth. 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 disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred.
- Go to a hospital emergency department or a specialized forensic clinic that provides medical care 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 diseases and the possibility of pregnancy resulting from the 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. Rape 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.
- Talk with a counselor who is trained to assist rape victims about the emotional and physical impacts of the assault. You can contact a hotline (RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE), a rape crisis center, or a counseling agency to find someone who understands the trauma of rape and knows how to help.
- If you want information about legal issues, medical care, or other concerns related to the assault, a rape treatment center or a rape hotline can assist you. You can call RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE to find a rape crisis center in your area.
