Male rape victim HIV infection "could not recognize the damage" July 16 17:16

A man who has been infected with HIV after being forced into unwanted sexual activity by multiple men.

He sent us his experiences on the site where we are soliciting opinions on "sexual violence".

Men say they haven't been able to identify themselves as victims for a long time.

Behind this was the serious circumstance faced by many male victims.

(Yoshiyuki Kozu, Director of the International Program Department, Seikei)

Raped by multiple men and infected with HIV

This is Daisuke (40s, pseudonym).

I work as a nurse in the Kanto region and live with my wife and two children.

Daisuke was damaged three years ago.

It was an event at a men-only sauna that was invited by a man I knew.

After sweating, I was advised to drink chu-hi.

It seems that there was a sleeping pill in it, and I was hit by a sudden sleep.

It is said that he lay down toward the nap room while being supported by a man while his consciousness became cloudy.

Then he fell asleep, and when he noticed, he was raped by multiple men without any physical strength.

After the damage, I was anxious about sexually transmitted diseases and underwent an examination, and found that I was infected with HIV.

Even now, blood tests and prescriptions for medicines are indispensable, and I go to the hospital once every three months.

(* Currently, there are various remedies, and it is possible to prevent the onset of AIDS by taking them.)

Daisuke says that every time the test date approaches, he remembers the damage and becomes painful.

Daisuke-san (pseudonym)

"I wonder why I ended up like this, my regrets, my feelings about what was wrong with me, and so on. I feel that it is painful one by one because I think about it. In the past, I had frequent flashbacks, and the flashbacks suddenly woke me up and made me feel like I was awake, and I had enough sleep and rest. There were also changes in my body, such as not being able to take it, or when I heard a man's loud voice, my hands began to tremble at that moment. "

Confused by "body reaction" "I can't recognize the damage"

Daisuke was severely damaged both physically and mentally.

However, he told me about the damage at first, "I couldn't recognize it as rape."

He says he had never thought that a man would suffer from rape, and he didn't know how to understand how his body reacted at the time of the damage.

Mr. Daisuke (pseudonym)

"It was very painful for me and it hurt my self-esteem, so I realized that it was a really difficult situation, but as a reaction of my body, after I got pleasure. I was in a situation where I was erecting and ejaculating, so I couldn't understand it at all, or did I really want my feelings to stop sexual activity, or did I accept it? The feelings I felt in my body and the pain I felt in my heart were so far apart that I felt very confused. "

Daisuke repeatedly said, "I couldn't forgive myself."

I continued to blame myself without realizing that I had suffered damage.

And I couldn't tell anyone about this experience, and I kept holding it alone.

The opportunity to recognize the damage "not just me"

Daisuke came to clearly recognize his experience as a sexual victim because of the article "Thinking about" sexual violence "" that we have been serializing online for two years. ..

I saw an article about a man who was raped.

In addition, an expert interview saved his heart.

This is Shuki Yamaguchi, a psychological counselor.

After gaining experience in a specialized facility in Canada, he opened a counseling office specializing in male victims 10 years ago.

So far, we have responded to more than 700 consultations.

Mr. Yamaguchi

"There are many men who get confused by their" body reaction "and feel" strong shame "when they suffer sexual damage." Body reaction "causes sexual excitement and pleasure. That. I always tell men who are ashamed that their bodies have reacted even though they have acted against their will. "It's natural." Touching hot things. It has nothing to do with your intentions, just like you get burned when you do it. It's just a natural body reaction. So you're not crazy. If your body reacts If it was an unwanted sexual act, it is sexual violence. "

Daisuke (pseudonym)

"I was able to understand what I was doing through episodes of other people, and when I was sexually injured by a man, men could also be sexually injured. I think that the fact that there was something led to the most understanding, or the opportunity to accept myself. Among them, the act of ejaculation, which I had a dislike for myself, was the act of ejaculation. It feels like I've finally changed my mind to forgive myself because I understand that it's different from my own thoughts because of what happened due to the physiological reflexes. "

Daisuke says that by gaining knowledge about male sexual damage, he gradually became aware of his own damage.

This time, he responded to the interview with the hope that by talking about that experience, he would be able to help the victims as well as himself.

“If you don't give up, you can definitely recover”

In June, when we conducted a questionnaire on the web for men who suffered sexual damage, we received responses from 260 people.

And it turned out that "about 70% did not consult with anyone."

As public consultation desks, "One-stop support centers for victims of sexual crimes and sexual violence" have been set up in 52 locations in all prefectures.

Mr. Yamaguchi, a counselor, recommends that you consult a specialized window.

And there is something I want to strongly convey to men who find it difficult to heal their suffering.

Mr. Yamaguchi:

"If you don't give up, you can recover." Among the people who visited the consultation, those who received counseling and their anxiety and fear were alleviated, flashbacks gradually decreased, and finally Some people have no symptoms. Sexual violence damages a person's dignity. The injuries to the victims are very deep and large, but please also know that you can recover from them. I think"

Yoshiyuki Kozu,

Director of the International Program Department, Political Economy

Joined in

2011 Covered the

issue of sexual violence for more than two years in the "Thinking about Sexual Violence" project

Male sexual damage consultation counter nationwide

Updated every Friday Think about plus "sexual violence" together

Close-up Gendai + "You are not alone-to men who have suffered sexual damage-"