Sexual violence by intimate partners

In many countries a substantial proportion of women experiencing physical violence also experience sexual abuse. In Mexico and the United States, studies estimate that 40–52% of women experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner have also been sexually coerced by that partner. Sometimes, sexual violence occurs without physical violence, In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in a representative sample of over 6000 men, 7% reported having sexually and physically abused their wives, 22% reported using sexual violence without physical violence and 17% reported that they had used physical violence alone.

Findings from these studies show that sexual assault by an intimate partner is neither rare nor unique to any particular region of the world. For instance, 23% of women in North London, England, reported having been the victim of either an attempted or completed rape by a partner in their lifetime. Similar figures have been reported for Guadalajara, Mexico (23.0%),, (21.7%), Lima, Peru (22.5%), and for the Midlands Province in Zimbabwe (25.0%). The prevalence of women sexually assaulted by an intimate partner in their lifetime (including attempted assaults) has also been estimated in a few national surveys (for example, Canada 8.0%, England, Wales and Scotland (combined) 14.2%, Finland 5.9%, Switzerland 11.6% and the United States 7.7%).

The table below summarizes some of the available data on the prevalence of sexual coercion by intimate partners.

National organizations

 * MenCanStopRape.org
 * Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, the United States' largest anti-sexual assault organization.
 * Sexual Assault Care Centre Scarborough, An extensive resource for victims/survivors of sexual assault.
 * The Awareness Center, Inc. (Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault)

Support organizations

 * After Silence, online support group and forums and chat room for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and their supporters.
 * Pandora's Aquarium, an online support group, message board, and chat room for sexual assault survivors and their supporters.
 * Support for Victims and Their Family, Support for Victims and Their Family

Research and information

 * Award Winning Documentary on Sexual Assault and Healing
 * Rape Crisis Information Pathfinder- research on sexual assault
 * U.S. Army Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Program