For those recently assaulted by someone likely to claim "it was consensual" and who don't know what to do next

First, your safety is the highest priority. Next is your health. There are prescription treatments which can be given soon after rape to reduce the chances of contracting certain sexually transmitted diseases.

Emergency contraceptives exist which can reduce the chances of pregnancy. ECs are not abortion pills, they are birth control pills. Whatever your beliefs are related to birth control and abortion, you have the right to follow your beliefs. If anyone tries to push you into making the choice they would make in your situation that person has stepped over the line.

Informing you of your choices and options is good, withholding the information you need to make a fully informed choice or trying to coerce you into a particular choice is bad.

Many times people are told not to be selfish, but sexual assault victims have the right to be centered on their own physical and emotional safety as long as they are not abusing others. 

Get all of the qualified and caring allies you can to aid you.

Depending on where the sexual assault happened the competence and ethics of those assigned to investigate sex crimes varies. For this reason, I don't recommend reporting alone.

Look for resources who can help you or who can refer you to someone who can help you. Most victim advocates are familiar with their local law enforcement and know if they have investigators who are specifically trained to investigate sex crimes. They may also know if certain types of sex crime cases are handled better than others by local law enforcement.

Before you talk to police you must decide to be absolutely truthful about everything -- even details which you feel are nobody's business or which are seemingly unrelated to the crime you are reporting. Defense attorneys and some investigators will use the smallest detail to justify calling you a false reporter.

If you are treated unprofessionally try to document all the information you can get on the person including that person's name and title. Unprofessionalism includes direct or backhanded accusations that you are lying or a demand for you to recant. If you have a friend or advocate with you ask that person to get and record the information you need.

Sometimes having unprofessionalism exposed is what it takes to improve different systems.

Advocates can also provide services to your friends and family. In victim advocacy those close to you are considered secondary victims.

Whether or not you are considering filing a police report, preserve all of the evidence you can. This includes any material which may contain forensic evidence. Place any items with possible DNA evidence in a paper bag.

If your rapist has written notes or left messages save them all. Your rapist may have provided you with evidence which supports your testimony.

Many rapists, especially those who believe they did nothing wrong may brag about their actions on social networking sites or may do so to friends via email. If you see any information about your rape online, save a copy of the web page.

Seeking justice is not vindictiveness. Don't believe anyone who tries to convince you that it is. Please, do not try taking the law into your own hands. Do not violate the law.

In the US beginning in January 2009, all rape victims will have the legal right to have an anonymous rape kit done before making the decision about whether or not to report to the police. In order to have a reasonable chance of finding evidence, this forensic exam needs to happen within a few days of the crime. Showering or bathing may reduce the chances of collecting sex offender DNA, but it doesn't always eliminate all the forensic evidence.

Many rapists, including date rapists, are serial offenders. If the same person who says, "it was consensual" is reported every time that person rapes, the lie will be quickly exposed as long as investigators are doing their job on all rape cases.

A DNA sample from your date rapist may help solve an open case where that rapist cannot escape justice by saying, "It was consensual."

In many jurisdictions the backlog for processing rape kits is into the years.

If the general horror stories are scaring you away from considering reporting, I encourage you to keep your options as open as possible.

If you identify barriers which stop you from seeing reporting as an effective and safe action, document those barriers.

Each person's situation is different. If you feel it isn't right for you to report, you are not responsible for your rapist's future rapes.