Women are four times more likely to be raped by an acquaintance than by a stranger and are more likely to be blamed by both men and women for the rape if it occurs on a date. The presence of rape blaming beliefs among healthcare providers has been predicted by traditional sex role attitudes towards women. This study was conducted to 1) examine healthcare providers attitudes towards women as a predictor of date rape acceptance and 2) assess the knowledge level of professionals and students of the date rape drug, Rohypnol. Data collected in South Texas surveyed 472 professionals and students from hospital emergency rooms, local emergency medical services, clinics and gynecology offices, and varied allied health schools. 75% of the participants were women and 42% represented a minority ethnic population in Texas. Healthcare providers were randomly assigned to one of three date rape scenarios: clear consent for sex, forced date rape, date rape with Rohypnol. Multivariate analysis indicated that restrictive sex-role attitudes towards women and acceptance of date rape myths were significant predictors of date rape acceptance, R=.73 (p<.006). Years of education, ethnicity, and rural or non-urban residence predicted victim-blaming attitudes. Rohypnol knowledge was limited across groups. 53% accurately stated that Rohypnol is a benzodiazipine but this percent reduced significantly when controlled for random guessing. Implications for these baseline findings include the potential of secondary victimization of rape victims by health care providers and the need to improve the patient-provider relationship with respect to non-emergent date rape situations.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the primary predictors of date rape myth acceptance and discuss implications of traditional sex-role attitudes in public health. 2. Describe baseline data of healthcare providers knowledge of date rape drugs and potential implications for the patient-provider relationship in emergent and non-emergent situations.
Keywords: Women's Health, Sexual Assault
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.