There are many misconceptions concerning rape.  Rape is not an act of sexuality or love as some people believe.  Rape is an assault in which the victim's body is abused.   The rapist uses his own body, or a foreign object, to inclict pain and humiliation upon the victim.  Police data show that slightly over half the reported rapes are anal, oral or both.    Slightly less than half are vaginal.

Rape is often brutal with the threat of death used to force compliance.  The rape victim may be knocked unconscious, beaten into submission or threatened by a weapon such as a gun or knife.    The victim is often too terrified to relate to any sexual aspect of the rape.

Another factor to keep in mind is that the element of surprise is on the rapist's side.  By the time the victim becomes aware of the type of situation the rapist has forced upon her, she is often already mentally or physically powerless.    The terror that the victim feels, combined with the victim's lack of power, embarrassment and humiliation makes the act of rape a truly horrifying experience.  To add insult to injury, the experience is aggrevated by the physical attacks to her body.

Since rape is forced upon the victim, consent is not even an issue.
Unfortunately, some still believe the old myth that a rape is impossible without concent.

Another myth is that rape doesn't happen all that often.  It is estimated that about every six minutes another person is raped in the United States.