What if there was an epidemic condition affecting 1 in 5 women in our nation?  This is a condition that leaves a life-changing stamp on its victims’ lives.  Wouldn’t you want to stop the condition at all costs?  And prevent it whenever possible?

Sexual violence is a public health crisis of exactly these epidemic proportions.  Despite the prevalence of sexual violence, this issue is shrouded in silence because of the guilt and shame felt by its victims.  Whether you are aware of it or not, the likelihood is that at least one woman in your life – your mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, aunt, friend, or colleague – has experienced sexual assault.

The first step to treating this epidemic is being aware that it exists.  Survivors live in every corner of Ohio – approximately 743,000 women in Ohio are survivors of rape in their lifetime.  People who have survived a sexual assault often struggle daily with its effects.  Research shows that sexual assault survivors are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, and 26 times more likely to abuse drugs than someone who has not experienced a sexual assault.

Services from a rape crisis center can decrease the affects of sexual assault; however, many communities throughout Ohio have no rape crisis services available to survivors.  This means that there are tens of thousands of people throughout the state who desperately need assistance and have nowhere to get support.

Given this need, and the limited resources currently available, we need your support. Together, we can raise the awareness that we need to stop sexual violence.

Indeed, most of the men I spoke with on base were glad that I was talking about this issue, whether it was something that happened to a partner of theirs, to a fellow soldier, or to a sister or other family member. Most often, the attitude seemed to be, “Of course this is wrong.”