Date rape (also known as acquaintance rape) and stranger rape are defined as sexual assault without consent. If an acquaintance or a stranger has sexually assaulted you, it is extremely  important that you get to an emergency room or medical facility before bathing. For your health it is crucial that you are examined for sexually transmitted diseases. Obtaining medical attention right away will insure that physical evidence of the rape will be preserved so the perpetrator can be identified and prosecuted. Take a family member or close friend with you. Reporting the incident can help protect you against a further attack, and you could help save other women from being assaulted.

What about the morning after pill?

You have the right to learn all of the facts about emergency contraceptives (plan b or the morning after pill) before making a decision on taking it. It is often offered in the emergency room and by Doctors who treat rape victims. Make sure you learn all of the facts about it before making a decision. Emergency contraception prevents a fertilized egg or embryo from implanting in a woman's uterus, thereby not allowing the baby to find the nourishment it needs to grow inside the womb. For women who believe that a baby's life begins at conception, this pill presents a conflict of interest that they must carefully weigh. For more information, visit OptionLine.