Pregnancy After Rape

I've known many women whom are survivors of rape who have conceived a child through their rape. I used to ask myself "how do they cope? It's a daily reminder of their pain and trauma." What I never realized was how strong these women were. There are very few resources online or in brochures and books pertaining to the woman who is raped and impregnated. More often those very women aren't women at all, but children.

Not only is there significant trauma for the rape victim herself but there will be an entire process for both the Mother and the child to grieve through. The first thing every woman must tell herself is that this child may have been conceived through the act of violence, but it does not make the child responsible for what has happened. When your child grows into a young adult he or she may have questions and sometimes children will feel unwanted or unloved.

It is important to show your child that he or she was not a part of that ugliness.

The children born of this crime are also victims too.

"The adult pregnancy rate associated with rape is estimated to be 4.7%. This information, in conjunction with estimates based on the U.S. Census, suggest that there may be 32,101 annual rape-related pregnancies among American women over the age of 18." -Center for Diseases Control Rape Fact Sheet 2/2000

You have choices

No matter what you decide to do after conceiving a child, you should never feel judged or judge someone else for the choices they are going to make. Whether you decide to keep your child, put your child up for adoption or you decide to terminate the pregnancy that is your choice. The best thing you can do is get help from a local rape crisis center, therapy or counseling center so that you can get all the time you need to make the best decision. All children come through God with love. The vessel that carries a child is a beautiful one. The man who rapes a woman and impregnates her is just a man, he has no right, no compassion, no feeling and no say in your decisions whether he is a stranger, a partner or an acquaintance.

Below are a couple of the best resources I have found online that will help guide you as a Mother or as someone who was conceived through rape. Please keep an open mind when viewing this sites as they may be triggering. They are empowering and full of hope and light.

Pregnant By Rape Information

An extensive site dealing with understanding pregnancy after rape.

Voices of Hope

a Forum for women who have conceived through rape