Receiving immediate and follow-up medical attention is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself if you have been sexually assaulted. You may have injuries that need to be treated, and you may want to be tested for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
You may want to keep track of STIs for which you have been tested or treated. Ask your doctor or nurse exactly which tests are being completed. It may take several years for the symptoms of some STIs to show up. Information and testing could potentially save your life. The table on the following page contain information about the most eight most common STIs. Ask your health care professional for more information.
Each survivor of sexual assault responds uniquely to the assault, and the recovery process is different for each individual. These reactions may be experienced days, months, or years after an assault. Survivors suffer a great deal of physical and emotional trauma as a result of a sexual assault. Responses to a sexual assault can be immediate or delayed. Each survivor responds uniquely, and the recovery process is different for each individual.
