According to the Rape Crisis Centre, there are approximately eleven rapes every hour in England and Wales, and one in four women have been raped or sexually assaulted. You are not alone.

There are many complicated and unique responses to sexual violence, and it can affect each person in a different way. There is no wrong or right way to feel or react. As the body and mind process this trauma, many different emotions, behaviours, and physical responses may appear and disappear. Complicated emotions and reactions could return months or years after it happened. Remember, it is never your fault, and nothing to do with your actions, something you said or how you dressed.

Traumatic experiences like rape can lead to mental health issues. Around 70% of people experience a large amount of stress after a sexual violence experience. Women who have been raped are thirteen times more likely to try and take their own life. It is important to get some support to help you recover and heal from what you have been through.