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The below post may cause triggers due to the terms that have to be used to write and explain the blog. 

Physiological, or sexual, responses during rape often lead victims to believe that they are less of a rape victim. Sometimes, it makes them question whether it was rape. Other times, they hate their bodies for allowing such a response. However, it is common for males to have an erection or to have an orgasm during a sexual assault — just as it’s common for females to secrete (or become “wet”) or to have an orgasm during a sexual assault. While there are no concrete statistics regarding this nature, I would guess that around 1 in every 10 sexual assault victims (male and female) have an orgasm. While 10% doesn’t seem like a large number, it’s hard to provide even an estimate… but from the work I’ve done over the last five years, and the knowledge I have, and those that I have spoken with, it’s a fair estimate. I think the number of individuals who have become “wet” or had an erection during a sexual assault is incredibly high. 

These physiological responses don’t make you less of a victim. Some say it makes the sexual assault more difficult to heal from because your body responded in a way that it would respond in a consensual, sexual encounter. Which is just the point. Your mind can only control and do so many things at once. During a sexual assault, most people become numb and don’t take into account what’s going on around them. Most people aren’t thinking, “I don’t want an erection,” until it’s already happened. Your genitalia doesn’t have the ability to judge a sexual assault from a consensual sexual encounter. 

Some rapists use physiological responses as a tool; a mind-manipulator. They want you to feel guilty enough that you won’t report your assault. For example, they want you to think about the physiological response as you report your assault, and then share your story, and then tell your story before a jury and court room full of people, where the defense will question the assault because you had an orgasm. It’s an unfortunate way for offender’s to convince you the assault was consensual and make you feel at fault. 

Furthermore, this can be used as a tool in marital rape situations. Often times, marital rape is a line that is blurred for the victim. They may feel very in love with their spouse one day, and have a consensual sexual interaction, and within a matter of days, be fearful of their spouse and experience a sexual assault. The perpetrator can use those positive sexual relations to remind their spouse that they’re married and that s/he “liked it” then. Two marital rape researchers also found that in cases of repeated rapes (such as in relationships) by the same person, the victim will create or allow an ‘adaptive response’ (such as a physiological response) towards the sexual assault to help the sexual assault slightly more bearable. 

There’s not a lot of information regarding sexual responses during rape, and I think it’s something I’d like to study and hone in on a little bit more. Potential study may lie in the future — if you have any questions or ideas, please let me know. 

Ali Mark

January 19, 2012