If you have concerns about pregnancy or that you might have caught a sexually transmitted infection – called STIs for short – it’s important that you seek help and advice as soon as possible.

Any of the services listed on the Services that can help page, or on the Contacts Page, can give advice and information, but you can also go to your GP.

STIs

STIs can be caught by vaginal, genital, anal or oral sexual contact with someone who has the infection. If you catch an STI as a result of your experience, it is because the rapist or attacker has one. It is not your fault and it is nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about.

If you have visited a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), they should have offered you tests for pregnancy and STIs there. If you have not been to a SARC, you can visit your local family planning, sexual health or Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic for routine testing for all STIs. You do not need to tell them what happened unless you want to and you do not even need to give them your real name.

Pregnancy

If you think you might be pregnant as a result of rape, you can take a pregnancy test and discuss your different options with your GP / local doctor or at the SARC, at a family planning, sexual health or GUM clinic, or at a Brook centre.

You can take the Emergency Contraceptive (or ‘Morning After’) Pill up to 3 days (72 hours) after the attack.   Serenity SARC can also prescribe another medication that works up to 5 days after the attack.

Alternatively, an IUD (intra-uterine device), often called a coil, can be fitted up to 5 days (120 hours) afterwards and must remain inside you until the time of your next period.

You can get Emergency Contraception from local family planning or sexual health clinic. You can buy the Emergency Contraceptive Pill from a pharmacy for around £25.

If you are pregnant and do not wish to continue with the pregnancy, you can contact your GP / local doctor, a family planning clinic, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas), or Marie Stopes to discuss a termination (abortion). It is your decision and no one has a right to tell you what you should do. It is about what is right for you. The National Rape Crisis Helpline or your local Rape Crisis Centre will be able to support you and give you an opportunity to talk things through if this would be helpful. No-one at Rape Crisis will judge you.