Life Orientation Gr. 10

1. Life OrientationGr. 10 RAPE

2. What is RAPE? • The definition has changed as previously it was: “The insertion of a penis into a vagina without consent” – this meant that men could not be raped… • The new definition is: “The insertion of any object into any body orifice (hole in the body) without consent” – yes, this does mean that if you stick your pencil in my ear without my consent, it is rape! • This may sound ridiculous, but it is the only way to include all forms of rape: whether oral, vaginal or anal.

3. South Africa: Shocking Rape StatisticsSurvey finds that a woman is raped every 17 seconds.(Nov 2010) • 37. 4% of men admitted having committed a rape (more than 1 in 3 men!) • 25.3% of women said they had been raped • South Africa records the highest rates of rape in the world.

4. What to do when RAPED It is important to try remember as many of these points as possible, as they may just save your life. • When you fall victim of rape, never fight back as you may just aggravate the rapist and he/she might hurt you even more or simply just kill you. • It is important to provide some resistance though, this will help in gaining DNA – make sure to scratch you victim or pull out some hair (the skin cells under your nails can provide effective DNA to identify the person). • Also, try take note of any distinguishing characteristics of the rapist, e.g. scars, tatoos, piercings, eye color, etc.

5. Once your rapist has deserted you, you need to make sure you don’t do the following: • Don’t wash your hands • Don’t go to the loo • Don’t discard any items of clothing. (If you feel the need to change – put your dirty clothes into a brown paper bag, or wrap it in newspaper – a plastic bag will destroy any DNA evidence left on your clothes.

6. Go to your nearest hospital immediately with all your items of clothing. • Once there, inform the staff that you are a rape victim – they will then call for a police officer to come take a statement and open a case number. • Next you will have to undergo a Rape Exam – the purpose is to gather evidence and determine the extent to which you have been injured.

7. To collect medical evidence for the police, medical personnel use a "Sexual Assault Kit" (often referred to as a "rape kit"). Evidence is collected and a pelvic exam is done. The steps involved in evidence collection are: • The nurse explains the hospital's HIV testing procedure and why HIV testing is beneficial. The victim then decides whether to permit HIV testing. • Routine blood collection is done (to check for pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases). If you test positive at this point for either pregnancy or HIV, it means that you have been pregnant of infected prior to the rape. You will therefore NOT receive treatment for either. • The nurse documents any evidence of torn clothing or external injuries and takes photographs. • The victim's clothing is collected and new clothes are provided. • Any physical evidence from the rape scene (such as grass or leaves) is also collected.

8. 6. Hairs are collected: the nurse collects any loose hairs or debris in the pelvic area (looking for pubic hairs of the assailant). In some cases, some of the victim's pubic hairs are needed and 15-20 of the victim's head hairs (to differentiate the victim's hairs from the assailant's). 7. Fingernail scrapings are collected for detection of blood or tissue. 8. The nurse then examines the victim for evidence of semen and, if detected, it is collected. 9. Several slides are made and swabs taken from the vaginal, anal, and oral areas to check for semen, sexually transmitted diseases, and infections.

9. 10. The hospital provides the victim with any preventive medicine necessary (for tetanus, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, etc.). • If your blood test come back negative for pregnancy and HIV you will be treated medically as if you have been impregnated and infected with HIV. • You will be given the Emergency Contraceptive (morning after pill) which should destroy any embryo should fertilization have occurred (it is thus important that you go to the hospital within 72 hours of the rape for this to be effective).

10. For the treatment of HIV infection you will be put on to a course of P.E.P – Post Exposure Prophylaxis. This will immediately stop spread of HIV through your body. • These pills need to be taken every 12 hours for 6 months to be effective. If you miss one pill, or take it 10 minutes late it could mean that you will not be safe of HIV. • After 6 months of taking this medication you will undergo a blood test to confirm that you are HIV – • PEP is very effective – if administered effectively and also within 72 hour of rape.