Venereal Disease

Another untoward consequence of rape is acquisition of venereal disease from the assailant. In the sample studied by Hayman and Lanza, eighty-two new cases of venereal disease were diagnosed after assault. There were seventy-six cases of gonorrhea, five cases of syphilis, and one case of lymphogranuloma venereum. All but one of these women were treated. In most regimens described in the literature, venereal disease prophylaxis is provided in the emergency area, usually with an intramuscular injection of 2.4 million units of benzathine penicillin G (Bicillin) or the equivalent dose of tetracycline in patients with penicillin allergy. Follow-up of the attacker, if possible, can reveal whether or not to treat the rape victim. If he is not apprehended, most treatment centers routinely administer venereal disease prophylaxis.

If the rape victim does develop a pelvic infection, treatment with appropriate antibiotics is essential. Pelvic inflammatory disease may cause adhesions, which eventually lead to sterility, or if there is a severe infectious process marked by numerous adhesions, the pelvic viscera may be so rigidly fixed that coital thrusting may become painful.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is another of the potential sequelae of rape. Although the probability of becoming pregnant depends on which point in the menstrual cycle the woman is raped, most agencies now administer a regimen of diethylstilbestrol to ensure pregnancy prevention. Of the women in Hayman and Lanza's sample a total of thirteen became pregnant after rape: ten were therapeutically aborted, and three were delivered at term. Discovery of pregnancy by the rape victim is usually an additional crisis that may lead to alterations in the woman's sexuality.

The biologic consequences of rape, which include trauma, venereal disease, and pregnancy, require that a thorough physical examination be done as soon after the attack as possible. It is important to keep in mind that each of these consequences has the potential to lead sexual dysfunction in the victim.

Psychologic Responses To Rape

During the last decade the psychologic consequences of rape have been studied by a few investigators. However, there are not many statistics describing how frequently the rape victim requires long-term psychiatric care or how frequently emotional problems directly attributable to the rape occur. Hayman and Lanza' documented that seventy-two of the 2,190 women in their sample experienced emotional disturbances after sexual assault, and fifty-seven were subsequently placed under psychiatric treatment. Although these women are a small percentage of the sample, it is significant that nine of the women were still under treatment 4 years after the incident.

About The Author
David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Best Penis Enlargement company known as Penis Enlargement Group which is dedicated to researching and comparing penis enlargement products in order to determine which penis enlargement product is safer and more effective than other products on the market. Copyright 2010 David Crawford of Natural Penis Enlargement This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.