If you are raped, here are some things that you can do:

• If you are injured, or think you may be injured, we encourage you to seek medical treatment. In the Jamestown area, call Safe Shelter crisis line (701-251-2300) or the SANE crisis line (701-252-1048) to reach the Sexual Assault Response Team. In other areas, many hospitals and clinics have access to doctors, nurses, and advocates who are specially trained to take care of someone who has been raped.
• Don’t keep it a secret. Talk to a family member, a friend, or someone else you can trust to give you support and respect your right to decide who you do and don’t want to tell.
• If you want to report the rape, call the police right away. Try not to destroy any physical evidence. Don’t bathe or change clothes.
• If you aren’t sure what to do, call Safe Shelter (251-2300) or the rape crisis center in your area, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE).

You’ll have lots of questions and concerns as you go through the process of healing after rape, even if it happened a long time ago. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or support. Rape isn’t just physically damaging, it is emotionally traumatic, too. It may be hard to think or talk about something as personal as being raped by someone you know. But talking with a trained rape crisis counselor or other mental health professional can give you the right emotional attention, care, and support to begin the healing process. Working things through can help prevent lingering problems later on.