It is not possible to do this without your partner's knowledge and consent. It is possible to determine from this testing whether your consenting partner is the father of the baby. The most common pregnancy outcome in relation to rape and sexual assault in the American study was termination of pregnancy, with about half the women choosing to do this 1 . If you decide to have a termination of pregnancy, you could see your doctor or counsellor for information and referral advice. If you have taken legal action in relation to the rape, you should speak to your doctor or the police about whether evidence of the pregnancy should be collected for use in the criminal investigations.
Some women choose to continue with the pregnancy.
The American study found that about one third of the women who were pregnant from rape decided to continue with the pregnancy and keep the baby. A small number of women continued with the pregnancy and placed the child for adoption 1 . Confidentiality is an important issue for people who have been raped and you may not want to disclose to your doctor or mid-wife that the pregnancy was the result of rape. There are advantages, however, in informing a trusted health worker because issues that may be related to rape can be understood and addressed. People who have been raped may experience a range of reactions.