What is rape?
Rape, (Verb); Forced sexual intercourse including both psychological coercion as well as physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal or oral penetration by the offender(s). This category includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such as a bottle. Includes attempted rapes, male as well as female victims, and both heterosexual and homosexual rape.
Sexual Assault Has Hurt Us ALL.
The statistics for our generation are overwhelming: Between 20% and 25% of women will experience a completed and/or attempted rape during their college career, according to some studies. (1) Some studies will show lower numbers, but since not all rape and sexual assault are reported, definitive numbers are hard to establish.(2) Nevertheless, any amount of sexual assault is too much. And remember you are never at fault.
If you or a friend are raped
1. Get somewhere safe
2. Tell someone you trust
3. Seek Medical Care
4. Meet with a counselor
We all know someone who has been raped. Talking about sexual assault is not easy for anyone. However, there is something very sensitive we must discuss.
If you think abortion in cases of rape is okay, consider these questions:
If a rape survivor courageously chose to parent her child who conceived during rape and, at 2 years old, decided her son painfully looked like her rapist, would she be justified in killing her toddler son?
Abortion is not a mere “removal of support” – it actively destroy and dismembers another human. Even if this new human person is forced upon you unwillingly, there is no way to remove them without actively killing them. While the intention may be to lessen another person’s suffering, this is a great injustice to the second victim involved because they did not choose to be placed in this situation, either. If both victims of the situation can walk away with their lives intact, isn’t this the best option?
Do you believe that she did anything wrong? Would you excuse her actions because it is her body and her baby was inside of it?
For the rape victim, is abortion her best option?
“I certainly did not choose to be raped and definitely did not choose to become pregnant. No more did my child ask to be conceived. I have no right to take his life because of the horrible situation that happened to me. “ – Rebekah Berg, became pregnant as a result of rape, and chose to parent her son.
In an open letter to the U.S. Congress, 38 women who were raped and became pregnant wrote:
“Our experiences are varied. Many of us carried our pregnancies to term. Some of us raised or are raising our children, while others placed our children in adoptive homes. Others of us had abortions. In many cases, we felt pressured to abort by family members, social workers, and doctors who insisted that abortion was the “best” solution. For many the abortion caused physical and emotional trauma equal to or exceeding the trauma of the sexual assault that our abortions were supposed to ‘cure’.”
The Elliot Institute surveyed 192 women who conceived during a rape or incest. Of those victims, 70% carried the baby to term and either raised the child or made an adoption plan, 29% had an abortion, and 1.5% had a miscarriage.
- 43% of these women said they felt pressured to abort from family or health workers.
- 78% of those who aborted had regrets and said that abortion was the wrong solution.
- None of the women who gave birth said they regretted their decision. (3)
People hurt by sexual abuse deserve healing, hope and love.
If you are the survivor of sexual abuse and want to seek help, please contact the follow resources:
If you discover that you are pregnant as a result of sexual assault, please contact the following resources for help and understanding:
Sign the Pledge Against Violence
I stand against violence against all human beings – born and preborn.
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(1) U.S. Department of Justice.
(2)Yoffe, Emily. Slate.com September, 24 2015.
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2015/09/aau_campus_sexual_assault_survey_why_such_surveys_don_t_paint_an_accurate.html
(3) Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault, edited by David C. Reardon, Julie Makimaa and Amy Sobie (Acorn Books, 2000)