Preganancy following rape happens more often than you might realize. Almost three million women in the U.S. have experienced rape-related pregnancy during their lifetime. If you are pregnant as a result of rape, you may be experiencing intense and overwhelming emotions, and pregnancy hormones can increase the intensity even more. Your feelings about the pregnancy may be straightforward, and include sadness, anger or fear, but they might also be conflicted. For example, you might really want to continue the pregnancy and have a baby, while still feeling traumatized by the way the conception took place.

Rape related preganacy is also made more difficult and complicated by the ongoing political fight over reproductive freedom. In the U.S., state governments and the courts are restricting abortion access in ways that limit options for pregnant survivors. In addition to the very real trauma that this inflicts on pregnant rape victims, seeing politicians, justices, journalists and celebrities talking about abortion and particularly pregancy options following sexual violence may be traumatic for you. 

The most important thing for you to know if you are pregnant is that you have options, and they are all equally valid. Trusting yourself to make the best choice for yourself is what matters most. In this section, we will outline a number of choices that you can make if you become pregnant following an assault. We aim to give you as much unbiased information as possible, so that you can make the best decision for you. This decision may be different from the decisions that others in the same situation have made, and that is perfectly ok. What is right for one person is not necessarily right for another. Other people in your life may try to pressure you to make a particular choice regarding your pregnancy, but just remember, you have the right to confidential reproductive care  , even if you are still a teen, and  the choice of what do is yours and yours alone.