April is Sexual Assault Month
Each month more than ten women of all ages and backgrounds contact our Adoption Center with the same experience—they have been victims of a date rape drug, and are now pregnant, with most women not knowing who got them pregnant. Just after spring break is a time when we see a peak in pregnancy? For many of these women a date rape drug was involved.
The U.S. Census suggests that there may be 32,101 annual rape-related pregnancies among American women, over the age of eighteen. The adult pregnancy rate associated with rape is estimated to be 4.7 percent.
Several college aged women have reported waking up in frat houses or apartments with no clothing on. They find themselves in strange surroundings with unknown people and having been sexually assaulted while under the influence of a date rape drug. Just recently, our eighteen year old daughter shared her plans to celebrate her graduation with some girl friends in Cancun. I was concerned with their safety, but still wanting them to enjoy themselves so I was prompted to ask her—do you and your friends know what rape drugs are and how they are used? Surprising she had heard very little on the topic. Most of the women who call us don’t know either and wish someone had shared the following information.
Rohypnol is becoming the drug of choice for would-be rapists. Most all predators target unsuspecting victims by slipping these illicit drugs into their beverages at parties, bars, nightclubs, and dances. Rape drugs have the power to make one drink feel like six or more.
Laura, a sophomore from Florida, was one such victim. Laura who attended a private party, off campus, recalled that while she was dancing, she left her beer at a table, when she returned the perpetrator had already laced her drink. She only had one drink and started feeling kind of sick, then her memory got foggy, she started feeling drowsy, dizzy, and confused about where she was. “My roommate was going to come with me to the party, but at the last minute she made other plans. I decided to go alone, which was my first mistake.” Laura has no memory of what happened for the next eight hours.
Laura woke up in the back room at the club; with bruises on her thighs, half naked and suspected that someone may have had sex with her. Laura couldn’t remember who the person was or any other details. She was hung over for days afterward. Laura blocked the whole incident from her mind and allowed a numbness to take over her feelings. Her grades fell and she found her mind wandering in class. This is common for women that have been raped and can be used as a defense mechanism. Being overwhelmed with feelings or losing control are common reactions to what has happened to them. Other women may become anxious or depressed.
In Laura’s case, she discovered six weeks later she was pregnant. She dropped out of college to have the baby. Laura chose to have him adopted, by a childless couple, through our adoption center. “It was the only way I could make something good come out of something so bad. I needed to do something positive and it wasn’t the child’s fault.”
Laura recalls when she first found out she was pregnant, how angry and scared she was, “I wouldn’t have sex with a guy I didn’t know. I have always been so careful of what I do and who I date. I was just so mad at myself for not being more careful. I didn’t know if I had contracted a disease or HIV, it was very scary and embarrassing.”
Toni, a freshman in college in San Diego was a victim of the date rape drug. During spring break, she was assaulted at a party by a friend she met in a class. Toni had known him for almost a year. She kept saying, “I considered him one of my best friends. He acted like he would protect me. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it actually happened to me, even now. My body has been violated, my trust in him, as a friend, has been shaken and I feel betrayed … I keep saying to myself, I know him, and he’s not a terrible person—so it must have been something I said to him or did that got me into this mess. I don’t remember and I keep trying to remember what I did, or said—what happened that night—my own judgment has been stunned! I just couldn’t go through with an abortion, after what happened, as hard as the pregnancy was for me, I have always believed there are no mistakes and this baby didn’t cause this. Why should this child be the one that suffers? It took some time, but I chose a family that I knew would love this baby. When I started college I would have never dreamt something like this would happened to me! I have never regretted giving birth and giving her life. I still have trouble trusting people, but am working on it.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice “Date Rape” is one of the fastest growing drug-facilitated, sexual assault crimes in America today. Two thirds of GHB is ingested by people aged eighteen to twenty-five years old. Ecstasy abuse has increased 500 percent over a five-year period.
Studies confirm that acquaintance rape occurs more commonly among college students, predominantly first year students, than among any other age group. A recent large study, found one in four college women reported being the victim of rape or attempted rape and 84 percent of their assailants were boyfriends or acquaintances. Most rape victims remember nothing of the incident, except the feeling of being violated. The same study found that one in four college men disclosed to having used sexual aggression with women, and one in twelve to committing sexual assault of some kind. These men will slip the drug into a woman’s drink without their knowledge, most often in combination with beer, and wait for the drug to incapacitate the woman before sexual assaulting her. The assailants would go to parties to look for easy targets and opportunities. They would than wait until the victim is too out of it to say “no” and then will have sex with them.
Many men do it just to take advantage of women sexually. The drug is often added to punch or other open container drinks at fraternity parties, college functions and social gatherings. The drugs are then slipped into the females drink in hopes of lowering their inhibitions and facilitating in a potential sexual conquest for the assailant. High-risk situations are clubs, parties, bars, and raves. Women contacting us are of all backgrounds and ages. Many are still in some shock over being pregnant and are not sure of the race of the man than raped them. Many of these girls have little to share about the “father” of their child.
The date rape drugs are often referred to as the “alphabet drugs” called E or Ecstasy; G which can be either GHB or GBL; and K or Special K which is Ketamine. For a while Rohypnol or Roofies was one of the most popular date rape drugs, but it has been replaced by GHB as the date rape drug of choice. The most popular date-rape drugs are (GHB) gamma hydroxybutyrate and ketamine. The date rape drug or sexual assault drug is the street name for Rohypnol, because it has been associated with date rape. GHB is produced in clear liquid, white powder, tablet, and capsule forms. It is also been known commonly as: Rophies, Roofies, Roachies, Forget Pill, R2, roofenol, Roche, circles, La rocha, Rope, Trip-and-Fall, Liquid X, Liquid E, G-Juice, Rib, Mexican Valium, Roach-2, Roopies, and Ropies, Mind-Erasers, Liquid Ecstasy, Somatomax, Scoop, or Grievous Bodily Harm. Ketamine; also known as K, Special K or Vitamin K, commonly comes in a liquid form, but is also found in powder or pill forms.
Rohypnol is not legal in the U.S., nor is it manufactured or sold legally in the United States. It is used as a short-term treatment for insomnia in other countries. It is produced and sold legally by prescription in Europe and Latin America, then smuggled into the United States by mail or travelers. The drug is often distributed on the street in its original bubble packaging which creates a false appearance of legitimacy and makes it appear to be harmless and legal. Rohypnol tablets are white, scored on one side, with the word “ROCHE” and an encircled one or two indicating the dosage on the other side. Rohypnol is a low-cost drug, often less than $5 per tablet. They are sold in sealed bubble pack of one or two mg per dose.
Rohypnol can be addictive and cause physical dependence. It has physiological effects similar to Valium, but is nearly ten times more potent. Withdrawal symptoms include headache, muscle pain, confusion, hallucinations, and convulsions. Some women have had seizures occur up to a week after cessation of use. Rohypnol can often be dissolved in a beverage, and is easily undetectable. Ecstasy, also known as MDMA is known on the street as Adam, XTC, E, M, Bean, and Roll. Ecstasy comes in a tablet that is often branded; a few samples are shown below:
In combination with alcohol, it can induce a blackout with memory loss and a decrease in resistance. Women, as young as thirteen, throughout the country have reported being raped after being involuntarily sedated with Rohypnol. Roughly ten minutes after having the drug in their system, women report feeling dizzy and disoriented, at the same time feeling too hot or too cold or both, some become nauseated. Sedation starts approximately twenty-five to thirty minutes and crest within two hours. The effects can continue for up to eight hours. The drug has no taste or odor. Victims don’t have any memory of what happened while under the drug’s influence. Most of the woman can appear extremely intoxicated, with slurred speech or experience difficulty speaking. Some may experience gastrointestinal disturbances and urinary retention, poor coordination, swaying, blood-shot eyes, decreased blood pressure, and then may pass out … but without the odor of alcohol.
Part 1 | (Part 2)