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Call the RCS helpline on 08088 01 03 02

Recent rape or sexual assault

Orkney Rape & Sexual Assault Service offers support and information after a recent rape or sexual assault. We can help you cope with the immediate shock of what has happened and think about what you might want to do next.

Everyone is affected differently by sexual violence. How you are feeling, and what you want to do, will depend on your own experience and circumstances. There is no right or wrong way to feel.

If you want to speak with someone about what has happened to you, or about anything else on this page, please contact us on 01856 872298 or email us at contact@orsas.scot or phone the Rape Crisis Helpline on 08088 01 03 02 (every day 6pm to midnight).

If you have just been raped or sexually assaulted:

  • Try to be somewhere that feels safe.
  • Keep warm.
  • If possible, see if a friend or someone you trust can be with you.
  • If you need medical attention contact your doctor, A&E or phone NHS 24 on 111.
  • If you think you would like to report the incident to the police, phone 101 or 999 and keep evidence.
  • You might not feel like reporting now, but you might in time. So keep the clothes you were wearing at the time of the assault or anything else that might have evidence (blood, saliva, semen). Don’t wash clothes or other things. Put them in a clean plastic bag.
  • If you wash yourself, use safe products, not household cleaning products as they can harm you.
  • For women, if there is a possibility of pregnancy you may want to take the ‘morning after pill’ (two kinds: up to 72 hours/3 days after or up to 120 hours/5 days after) or have a coil fitted (up to 5 days after). You can buy the oral contraceptive pill at a pharmacy or get this from a GP or sexual health clinic. If you get the pill over the counter from a pharmacist there will be a charge. This can be up to £25.
  • For women, you may want to do a pregnancy test. Your GP or the sexual health clinic can do this. You can also buy pregnancy testing kits in pharmacies and larger supermarkets. They are accurate approximately 2-3 weeks after conception.
  • It may be a good idea to get tested for any sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as prompt treatment can prevent you from becoming ill later on. If you do have an STI, treatment can prevent you from becoming more seriously ill. You can be tested at the sexual health clinic. They will offer you fully confidential information, treatment and advice. You do not need a letter from your doctor. You will have to return for any test results. You do not have to give your name or say that you have been raped or sexually assaulted. You can take a friend with you for support or a support worker from Orkney Rape & Sexual Assault Service may be able to go to this appointment with you.
  • Phone the RCS Helpline or Orkney Rape & Sexual Assault Service for advice and support.
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