Treatment for Sexual Abuse/Rape

The service is available to all women and men over the age of 14 years who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Survivors are given medical, psychological and forensic care at specialist clinics in the province. At the clinic, the survivor will be interviewed and counselled by a health worker in a private room/area.

The health worker will ask whether the rape has been reported to the police. If, and only if, the survivor wants to report the rape, a police officer will be asked to come to the health facility to get a statement. The National Police Instructions on Sexual Offences require that the survivor be given a medical examination and care as soon as possible.

• Medical evidence
• STI treatment
• Emergency contraception
• AZT - HIV treatment 
• Rape counselling
• How to get the service

Specimens are only taken with consent of the survivor, and are kept as medical evidence in the event a court case is held.

Rape and assault survivors will be given treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Women may also get emergency contraception if they arrive at the clinic within 72 hours of being raped.

All survivors will be counselled by the health worker about the potential risks of HIV transmission post rape. If the survivors arrive within 72 hours of being raped, they will be offered the anti-Aids drug AZT (Zidovudine). Survivors who arrive after 72 hours should be counselled about the possible risk of getting HIV and be given a follow-up appointment date for six weeks and three months post rape for HIV testing and counselling.

Rape survivors will be given the option of going for counselling to a social worker/ trained counsellor/ private therapist/ psychologist/ Rape Crisis or other NGO.