Rape is a type of sexual assault that includes sexual penetration, no matter how slight, without consent. Although other types of sexual assault may be done by men or women, rape is almost always done by men.1 Most women who are raped are raped by someone they know, such as a former or current intimate partner, an acquaintance, or a family member.1 Rape is never the victim’s fault.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines rape as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”3 The federal government uses this legal definition to collect information from local police about rape. The legal definition of rape may be slightly different in your community.

Giving your consent means giving a clear “yes” to any type of sexual activity, though the laws about consent vary from state to state. It is also rape when penetration takes place when you are drunk, high, drugged, passed out, or asleep and cannot give consent. People under the age of 18 (in most states) cannot give consent to sexual activity with an adult.

You may not be sure if you were raped. The definition of rape is different in different states. But you may have been raped if you were penetrated — even partially — by a body part or object without your permission. In some states, penetration by other body parts, such as fingers or objects, is also rape. If you were drinking, were drugged, or were unconscious, you may not know if you were raped.

Find out more and get help by calling the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).

After a rape, it can be difficult to think about being touched in personal areas by doctors or nurses. But it’s important that you get examined by health professionals who can look for internal injuries and get you medicines to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy.

Go to a hospital emergency room or a special clinic where staff are specially trained to treat rape and sexual assault victims. To find a special clinic in your community, call the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). The police can also tell you where to find a clinic in your area.

If you think you were drugged, ask the hospital or clinic to take a urine sample. This will make it possible to test for date rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid). But these drugs pass through the body quickly and may not be detectable by the time you are tested.

Even if you were not physically injured, you may need a full and complete medical exam. This type of medical exam is called a sexual assault forensic exam. It should be very thorough and might take several hours.

If you give permission for the doctors and nurses to do a sexual assault exam, that does not mean you are required to report the rape to the police. Giving your permission for the exam only means the doctors and nurses have your permission to collect DNA and other evidence from your body.

You might have heard of something called a rape kit. This is a container with several things in it that help a doctor, nurse, or examiner collect evidence of rape. These kits usually include a checklist. This helps to make sure all procedures are followed correctly. They may also include forms for collecting the facts and tubes and envelopes for physical evidence and DNA.

Collecting this evidence is important. If the rapist is caught and prosecuted, the evidence will be used in court. Even if the attacker is not identified or arrested, his DNA can be added to a national database. This can make it possible to connect the attacker to a future crime if he does it again.

The hospital or clinic will usually set up a follow-up appointment. This will help to make sure any injury continues to be treated and that you are getting any other care, such as counseling, that you might need.

Yes. The hospital or clinic can give you medicines that can help keep you from getting many sexually transmitted infections. This is called a prophylactic (proh-fuh-LAK-tik) treatment. It helps to keep you from getting an infection in case you have been exposed. Medicines should be given as soon as possible.

The hospital or clinic can also give you medicine, called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), to help keep you from getting HIV. PEP should be given within 72 hours of the rape.

Most hospitals or clinics can give you emergency contraception pills to keep you from getting pregnant, or you can buy them over the counter at the drugstore. These pills are sometimes called morning-after pills. Emergency contraception is not the same thing as the abortion pill. Emergency contraception has the same hormones found in regular birth control pills. Emergency contraception prevents you from ovulating (releasing an egg from the ovary) or prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg. Emergency contraception works best when taken as soon as possible.4 Learn more about emergency contraception.

Get help if you are raped and become pregnant.

Under the Violence Against Women Act (PDF, 410 KB), your medical exam after sexual assault should be free. Every state also has a crime victim compensation program. The National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards provides links to every state’s program. These programs can help you with medical expenses, counseling, and lost pay from missing work.

You can get more information and counseling from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you decide to report a rape to the police, they may begin an investigation to collect evidence of the crime. The police will file an official report. Sometimes the police arrest the attacker if they believe the attacker is an immediate danger to you or anyone else in the community. If the evidence is strong enough, the lawyer for the state government, the prosecutor, will charge the attacker with a crime.

You will have to answer questions from the police and lawyers about the rape. You may be asked to testify in court if the attacker is charged with a crime.

Consider asking a friend, relative, or advocate to come with you to the police station. Having someone else present with you when you report the rape may help the situation feel less scary or overwhelming.

Many women are afraid to report a rape or sexual assault because they fear no one will believe them. And false rape charges are often talked about in the media. But researchers think that less than 10% of reported rapes are false.5

Just as it is impossible to know the exact number of rapes or sexual assaults, it is impossible to know the exact number of false accusations. Sexual assault is a serious crime, and charges must be taken seriously by everyone involved.

For more information about rape, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations: