“Shhh…don't even dare to say that males can get raped” – don’t you want to shut me up right now by saying this line?

Men are always interested in sex and sexual activities, isn’t it?

However, they get raped too. Not just raped, men are sexually exploited, assaulted and sometimes even emasculated both by male(s) as well as female(s).

Why don’t we talk about male rape as much as female rape? – Because men are considered to be masculine and strong.

Since rape involves forceful sexual intercourse, it is believed that no one can force a male, not even another male. Because of the disgrace and humiliation attached with male rape, most victims don’t share the incident with their family members or friends, leave alone reporting it to the police.

Consent or no consent – A question of homosexuality

When a male rape victim goes to the police to report the sexual assault, the policemen often inquire, “Have you ever had a gay experience before?”.

Most of the reported cases are not investigated because the rape victim can’t prove whether he gave the consent or was it a forceful act.

Also, a full erection during the sexual intercourse disqualifies the act to be considered rape.

Law is blind, but only in the case of “male rapes”

Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) defines “rape” as follows –

A man is said to commit rape who has sexual intercourse with a woman under the six defined descriptions.

Yes, you read it correctly. Indian Law doesn’t consider male rape as forcible intercourse. Due to this provision, most male rapes go unnoticed in India.

In several other countries also, rape only constitutes as “sexual intercourse forcefully done with a female”.

Rape by a female – enjoyment or trauma?

“Why are you crying on getting raped by a female? You must have enjoyed her domination on you” – a usual reaction that a male victim gets from friends and acquaintances.

Can we accept that rape is not just sexual intercourse? It also involves abusive exploitation, which can cause severe emotional and psychological problems. It also destroys the victim’s trust and intimacy interest in another gender permanently.

Rape is rape – don’t make it gender biased

Rape is a crime and a disgusting act – the culprit should be punished severely irrespective of the victim gender. Laws should be made more transparent and approachable for the victims, and sound support structures should be established.

Time to uncover these taboo issues

If we don’t talk now, we won’t speak ever. It’s high time that we give our voices to ‘male rape’ issue and work towards the welfare of victims and appropriate punishment to culprits.

“The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”

Let’s make our surroundings comfortable for the rape survivors so they can speak freely about the pains they have suffered. Time for us to step up and talk about these taboo issues!