by Karen Moore

Created on: May 29, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

With statistics showing one in four women will be raped in their lifetime, the topic of sexual assault is one that everyone should be talking about. Hoards of advice, some good and some bad, are available on how to prevent an attack, but dealing with the aftermath is a subject often left untouched.

Get away
The first and foremost concern is to make sure you are safe. Most rapes are committed by someone known to the survivor of the attack, but knowing the attacker does not make them any less dangerous than a stranger. Get to a safe place as soon as possible, even if you have to leave your home.

Seek Medical Attention
Not only will there possibly be injuries, diseases and pregnancy are risks for anyone who has suffered a sexual assault. The sooner medical attention is sought the better for catching and treating diseases, getting the pill to stop a pregnancy and treating any injury that was sustained. This is also important in countering any drugs given to the victim.
Medical personnel's priority is your medical needs, but they should be trained in evidence collection. This leads to the next important part of what to do if you are sexually assaulted.

Decision
A decision has to be made whether or not to report the incident to the police. This decision is yours, and yours alone, to make. Hesitating on making this decision will have important consequences. Evidence of a sexual assault is extremely important to your case and once you alter anything about the crime scene that evidence starts to disappear. You are the crime scene.

Ultimately, it is better to have evidence, even if you do not know the suspect. Serial rapists have been caught at a later date and numerous cases solved because the evidence was there. If no report is made no evidence exists and the crime goes unsolved. Your attacker may not be a serial rapist, but realistically you are probably not the first survivor of this attacker and you probably won't be the last if nothing is done.

Victims rights have slowly started to change the way a survivor is treated in the system and through this initiative counseling and the medical treatment should be paid for. Many departments have advocates that can help the survivor of the sexual assault through the process. There are varying guidelines and rules from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but it is food for thought.

Evidence
If you do decide to press charges, do not change anything about you once you are safe. It is natural to want to shower after an attack, both emotionally

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