Especially difficult in small towns: “Can be worried about meeting someone you know”
Kalla Fakta’s review points out that gay men rarely seek treatment after a rape.
One problem is that it is unclear where to turn as a victim of rape.
And the knowledge of the healthcare staff varies in the country.
– There is a rather low level of experience in caring for sexually abused men, says senior physician Anna Möller.
Call Fakta’s review of the Swedish gay world points out that men who have been raped and subjected to abuse rarely seek care. In a survey in which nearly 400 homosexuals responded, only one in seven stated that he had sought medical attention or support after the abuse. At Södersjukhuset’s reception for rape victims in Stockholm, they recognize the problem.
– We know that there are many more people in society who are raped who neither make a police report nor seek medical care. You can feel a concern about getting the help you need and whether you will be taken seriously, says senior physician Anna Möller.
“Worse in small towns”
The reception is one of the few in the country that accepts everyone, regardless of gender identity. It doesn’t look like that in other parts of the country. In smaller towns, it may be a health center or a surgical emergency that the men are referred to. The routines vary and a lack of knowledge and the possibility of being anonymous can affect care, says Anna Möller.
– If you live in a small town, it is very likely that the person you meet may not have met a raped man before. In the emergency department, you may also have to be worried about meeting someone you know, she says.
“Welcome men and women in the same place”
Today, the Emergency Department for Raped Victims at Södersjukhuset is one of the few specialist clinics in Sweden that receives raped men as an emergency. More similar receptions are needed in the country, says Anna Möller.
– I think that you can open up and take care of men and women in the same place. There really isn’t a big difference between a man who has been raped and a woman, says senior physician Anna Möller.