I’m sure it’s happened before, but is there any literature/journal/article/story about what really happens in this case?
If I was about to be raped, and I had a tampon in, I wonder if I’d say something? I probably wouldn’t really be thinking along those lines, but if I didn’t say something, could he actually penetrate?
I wonder if a potential rapist has ever been so grossed out by the blood that he stopped what he was doing?
Gross and morbid, I know, but I’ve often wondered about this.
Considering that women menstruate one week out of four and the history of human relations, including the use of rape as a weapon, a reward, and a punishment, surely there have been women who were raped while they were on their period.
If a woman has a tampon inserted in her vagina when the man penetrates her, surely he’ll feel it. Whether or not that stops him depends on the man and the circumstances. Some men get completely grossed out by menstrual blood. Some men aren’t bothered by it at all. I doubt there is any correlation between a man’s reaction to menstrual blood and his willingness to commit rape. If the rapist doesn’t stop, I imagine there would be more vaginal trauma than usual.
I once inserted a tampon while I still had a tampon in… I guess I forgot about it, or thought I’d already removed it. Then, later, when I pulled the first one out, two came. Anyway, I’d imagine that, as violent as alot of rapes are, it’s possible that a small tampon will just bunch up inside and not offer much resistance.
IIRC someone somewhere argued that because the victim asked if she could remove her tampon prior to being raped, the defendant didn’t really rape her, because she consented. Much like the “if she asked him to use a condom she consented” argument.
Vaginas are rather more stretchy than you would imagine, and blood soaked cotton wadding is compressible.
Enough squick for me.
This is scary. tbh, I wouldn’t fight, and I might ask for a condom if I felt brave enough. If it’s going to happen, I’d like to at least…protect myself if I can.
In regards to having a tampon in, I guess it would depend upon the ‘size’ of the rapist.
I’ve accidentally left a tampon in and attempted intercourse with my spouse, and I sure as heck could feel it.
You know, this is something I’ve wondered occasionally, but never thought to ask.
I really don’t think a tampon would bunch up enough to save the victim from worse damage. There’s room in there, sure…but it would still cause heavy trauma.
Considering how tiny most tampons really are, and the fact that they’re only made from cotton, they’d probably make a pretty inefficient shield.
I’m not sure how a rapist would react to menstrual blood, though. Probably depends on the person.
True crime reader here. This came up a few times in John Douglas (one of the original pioneers of the FBI’s criminal behavior profiling system) book Obsession Apparantly, a victim often tells her rapist she is menstruating and a lot of the times it thwarts the vaginal rape. However, often times they’ll just end up raping you orally or anally. But if you were looking for this subject written down somewhere, its in that book.
Always remember that the vaginal walls are stretchy enough to pass a child through. 10 cm - about four inches - diameter of a rough circle, that’s *at least *how wide is can stretch. Not comfortably, mind you, but then again, a rapist isn’t often concerned with his victim’s comfort. So a 1/2 inch diameter cotton wad and a two inch diameter penis are well within the specs for vaginal containment.
I will never tell a rapist I am menstruating! Geez!
Can I tack on a question? What if you told a rapist you had some STD? I wouldn’t say AIDS because that might really escalate the situation, but what about syphilis or gonorea (these are hard diseases to spell, sorry) or maybe even herpes? Or crabs?
What do you think would happen then?
Good question, I’ve wondered this too. I always thought it would lead to a good beating out of frusteration (on the rapists part).
I’ve always wondered that, too. Actually, the first thing that came to my mind a while ago, for no real reason, was, “What if I tell him I’m HIV positive–will he leave me alone?” Would he believe me/even care?
Henry Lee Lucas had sex with his “girlfriend” (I cannot recall if this is before or after he killed her and cut her limbs off…). She was on her period at the time, and she neglected to remove the tampon first.
He commented that “something didn’t feel quite right”.
This is taken from my memory, citing the book “Henry”.
I recall reading about a rape survivor who’d told her rapist she had AIDS…
So he raped her with a table leg.
It happens:
That’s probably more than enough.
I’m sure it has happened (I know I read a case at one point in which it did).
Pee Wee Gaskins, in his autobiography, Final Truth: http://www.amazon.com/Final-Truth-Autobiography-Serial-Killer/dp/0963242202 talks about a statutory rape he committed (IIRC it was one of his first) in which the girl was on her “rag-time” and a few more rape-murders that involved menstruating women.
I don’t have a cite but I knew a girl in college that drank too much at a friend’s party. He took her to his room so she could lay down. Hours later she wakes up completely naked, but she’s confident “nothing really happened” because her tampon was still there.
“Nothing really happened” isn’t really my analysis of the situation but whatever.
wow I can literally not think of anything worse
Table leg, wrapped with barbed wire?
Sorry.