Did you know that every hour matters if you or someone you know is raped?
Hundreds of millions of people—including many children—are subjected to sexual violence, yet very few survivors ever tell anyone about the experience or access health services or mental health support to help them heal. Many do not understand the importance of these services or the fact that, after a rape, every hour matters in preventing potentially lifelong health problems. This is an unacceptable reality we must all work together to change.
Why is rapidly accessing care so critical?
- HIV can be prevented if survivors receive life-saving medication within 72 hours.
- Emergency contraception can help prevent a pregnancy if accessed within 120 hours.
- Medical help for physical trauma may be urgently needed depending on the situation.
It’s time to act to support survivors and end violence!
The Every Hour Matters campaign aims to increase awareness about the critical importance of quickly accessing post-rape care and calls on national and community leaders to ensure comprehensive services are available in all communities.
We ask national and community leaders to break the cycle of violence by:
- Ensure comprehensive post-rape care services are available in every community, including for children;
- Raise awareness about the benefits of quickly accessing healthcare after rape, and educate the community about where services are located;
- Reduce barriers to care by enacting policies that are supportive of survivors;
- Promote an environment that makes it safe to talk about rape and ensure that survivors have access to justice and laws against perpetrators are enforced; and
- Invest in prevention to end all forms of sexual violence.
As an individual, you can help spread the word about the importance of post-rape care.
- Talk to your family and friends about challenging the stigma associated with rape and discuss why every hour matters after sexual assault
- Learn what services are available in your community and share this information with others
- Share the campaign on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
- Call or write your local leaders to raise their awareness of the need to ensure the availability of comprehensive post-rape care
We must make act to ensure survivors can speak out, get care, and heal without further trauma and negative consequences. We invite you to join Together for Girls and our partners in working to end the cycle of violence affecting all of our nations.