Pregnancy after rape

If your pregnancy is the result of a rape, you will have many different issues and feelings that you need to work through. It is very important to get professional help to support you through this difficult time.

In South Australia

-          This could be at the Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault Service

http://www.wch.sa.gov.au/services/az/other/yarrowplace/files/

-          Police sexual crimes investigation branch 8205 5971

http://www.police.sa.gov.au/sapol/about_us/structure/crime...

How likely is it to fall pregnant after being raped?

It is difficult to know how many pregnancies occur as a result of rape. A large study in America found that 5 per cent (1 in 20) of women who were raped became pregnant. Most of these pregnancies were in young women who had been raped by someone known to them and often by someone who was a relative.

A South Australian survey found that about 50 per cent of sexual assault happens within a domestic relationship, and so it is likely that there are many unplanned pregnancies from rape.

What can be done to prevent a pregnancy after rape?

There are tablets available to prevent pregnancy after rape or unplanned and unprotected intercourse. This medication, the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) is commonly known as the morning-after pill, but can actually be taken up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse, although it is more effective if taken within the first 3 days after unprotected intercourse.

For more information have a look at the information about Emergency Contraception on the Shine SA website

http://www.shinesa.org.au/index.cfm?objectid=5AA25...

In South Australia you can get emergency contraception pills at a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription (you will need to talk with the pharmacist), or at a SHine SA clinic (formerly Family Planning), The Second Story Youth Health Service or some public hospitals. 

What can you do if you find that you are pregnant after a rape?

Making a decision about what to do when an unplanned pregnancy is confirmed is often difficult. Your choices include:

-          Continuing with the pregnancy

-          Continuing with the pregnancy and having the child placed for adoption

-          Having the pregnancy terminated.

The American study found that about a third of women who are pregnant from rape do not discover that they are pregnant until the second trimester of the pregnancy (that is after 12 weeks). There are many possible reasons for this.

It's really important to have any pregnancy confirmed as early as possible so that all the choices are available to you and you have enough time to think about what you want.

There are many factors that you may need to think about when making a decision about what to do if you are pregnant after being raped. Some of these factors include:

-          You may not want anyone, including your partner, to know that you have experienced a rape

-          You may not know who the father of the baby is if you have had consenting intercourse with anybody else around the time of the rape

-          If you have been raped by, and had consenting intercourse with, your partner you may not know whether the pregnancy was from the rape or the consenting intercourse

-          You may be worried about how you will cope with the pregnancy and labour

-          You may be worried about how you will relate to the baby and whether the baby will be accepted into your family

-          You may have concerns about how the child will react when he/she finds out the circumstances surrounding their conception

You may find it difficult to decide what is best at a time when you are dealing with everything you are feeling after being raped. You could talk with a trusted friend, counsellor or doctor about your feelings and concerns before making the decision about what is best for you.

Also have a look at the topic Professional agencies to contact for help and counselling which provides information about services that can offer counselling.

Can paternity testing (to check who the father is) be done during pregnancy?

If you have had sex with your consenting partner around the time of the rape and have not been using reliable contraception, it can be very difficult to know who the father of the baby is. You could talk with your doctor about this and it may be possible to answer this question by looking at the time of intercourse in relation to your periods. An ultrasound scan may also be useful in helping to work this out.

If there is no other way of working out who the father of the baby is, and finding out would make the difference between keeping the baby or terminating the pregnancy, testing can be done while you are pregnant (this is called in-utero paternity testing).

-          An in-utero paternity test is done by taking a sample of the baby’s DNA with either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling and comparing the results of this test with the results of tests done on a blood sample from you and your consenting partner.

-          It is not possible to do this without your partner’s knowledge and consent.

-          It is possible to determine from this testing whether your consenting partner is the father of the baby.

-          This testing is expensive and there are risks involved with it, so you and your partner should consider counselling in order to make the decision about whether to have in-utero paternity testing.

What if you choose to have a termination of pregnancy (abortion)?

If you decide to have a termination of pregnancy, you could see your doctor or a counsellor for information and referral advice. You could also look at the topic on this site Abortion (termination of pregnancy).

If you have taken legal action about your rape, you should speak to your doctor or the police about whether evidence of the pregnancy should be collected for use in the criminal investigations.

There is also information on the website of the Pregnancy Advisory Centre

http://www.pregnancyadvisorycentre.com.au/

What if you choose to continue with the pregnancy?

Some women choose to continue with the pregnancy. A small number of women continue with the pregnancy and place their child for adoption.

Confidentiality is an important issue for people who have been raped and you may not want to tell your doctor or midwife that the pregnancy was the result of rape. But it can be helpful to tell a trusted health worker about your rape, as they may be able to understand and help you with some of the issues you are dealing with.

People who have been raped may experience a range of reactions.

-          These reactions may not cause you problems to do with your pregnancy.

-          However, some women have reported that they have experienced difficulty with being touched and with medical checks such as vaginal (internal) examinations.

-          Some women have experienced flashbacks of the rape during labour and have difficulties with breastfeeding, parenting the baby and with depression.

-          Also, you may have higher stress levels as a result of rape and this stress can affect your experience of pregnancy.

Similar problems may also arise for women who have been raped in the past or abused as a child.

These experiences can be very frightening.

-          Choosing to tell the doctor, midwife or counsellor may provide you with the opportunity to talk about your possible reactions to the pregnancy, labour and baby.

-          You could discuss and consider how you could deal with these reactions if they should happen.

-          You may also want to think about how you can best be helped during pregnancy, labour and when the baby is born.

In South Australia women who want to continue with the pregnancy but would like to place the baby for adoption can receive information about this from the Department of Families and Communities Adoption Service (phone 08 207 0060)

http://www.dfc.sa.gov.au/pub/Default.aspx?tabid=199

If you have taken legal action in relation to the rape, you should speak to your doctor or the police about whether evidence of the pregnancy should be collected for use in the criminal investigations.

What if you were pregnant when you were raped - will your baby be harmed?

Most people who are raped are not seriously physically hurt and in most cases the baby will not be harmed. However, if the woman has been seriously physically hurt or hit in the stomach, there is more risk of harm to the baby.

In any case, it is important to see an obstetrician to check that the baby is OK.

If you have any contractions, bleeding or pain in the abdomen after rape, it is important to see your obstetrician as soon as you can.

This information has been provided by Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault Service ph 08 8226 8777. Visit the Yarrow Place website

http://www.wch.sa.gov.au/services/az/other/yarrowplace/files/

South Australian Police Sexual Crime Investigation Branch- police who are specially trained to assist victims of rape, incest, child sexual abuse, and other serious sexual assaults 131 444 or 8207 5966 (open all hours)

The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see your doctor or midwife.