Rape
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rape is the act of having sexual intercourse with a person when this person does not want to, or is unable to give their consent. The rapist, the person who rapes, may use force, but may not; threats of violence, or when the victim is drugged/asleep can still be called rape. Rape is a form of sexual assault. In most countriescitation needed, rape (and other assaults on the sexual integrity of a person) is a crime punished harshly, when cases are found.
The person who is unable or unwilling to consent may be incapacitated by the use of certain drugs, which make the person dizzy or unconscious. They may also be considered a child (which is legally unable to give informed consent, before the child reaches what is called the age of consent. This age varies from country to country, but is usually around 14 to 16 years). Finally, the person may be legally adult, but because he or she is suffering from a mental illness (or other disability), he or she has been declared unfit to give informed consent.
[edit] Medical emergency information
According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in the United States, rape is a medical emergency [1]. Medical and law enforcement professionals have strongly recommended that a victim calls for help and reports it. A victim who seeks immediate medical attention, will not only allow prompt treatment for possibly life-threatening injuries and diseases, but will also preserve evidence. Many recommend that victims should not bathe or clean themselves before the examination, not only to prevent the loss of physical evidence, but also to not delay medical attention.
Physical injuries such as gynecologic, rectal or internal hemorrhage may have resulted. Additionally, emergency contraception and preventative treatment against sexually transmitted diseases may be required, in particular prophylactic treatments to prevent HIV infection. In many locations, emergency medical technicians, emergency room nurses and doctors are trained to help rape victims. Some emergency rooms have rape kits which are used to collect evidence.
AIDS prophylaxis is possible within 48 hours, but is not always deemed appropriate, given:
- the extremely small chance of transmission in many cases (0.1 - 0.3%, or between 1 in 333 and 1 in 1000);
- the lack of certainty of any effective results (it reduces, rather than removes the risk); and
- the often severe side effects of drugs required.
This would usually be a clinical decision based upon circumstances. [2]
