# Is "rape" real?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rape-real/418078>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 5, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rape-real/418078 "2007-09-05T02:55:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rape-real/418078/1 "2007-09-05T02:55:21Z")

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I’ve always been unable to reconcile my mental image of “rape” - that is, a man forcing vaginal penetration/sex on a woman - with the real-life mechanics of how “tab a goes into slot b.” It seems to me that in the vast majority of cases, it would be ridiculously difficult or completely impossible for a man to “get it into” a struggling woman who’s not self-lubricating in any way. I’d imagine that a dry, unwilling vagina would be _very_ difficult to get _anything_ into - the sheer volume of aftermarket lube product for sale implies that it can often be a difficulty with a _willing_ partner.

Or is it just that when people say “rape,” they’re more often referring to the panoply of actions that constitute “sexual assault,” such as groping, forced kissing, humping, etc. happening against the victim’s will?

Is “rape” - my defintion of a man attacking a woman and, as she struggles, engaging in penetrative vaginal sex against her will - a real thing?

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rape-real/418078/2 "2007-09-05T03:00:46Z")

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Good lord. How fast is this thread going to go to pieces?

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**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rape-real/418078/3 "2007-09-05T03:03:49Z")

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Yes.  
I can speak from experience.  
It is possible. Also painful, both physically and mentally.

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rape-real/418078/4 "2007-09-05T03:04:02Z")

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\<mod\>

Of course there is.

I’m going to close this before it gets too hot in here.

\</mod\>