Pregnant After Sexual Assault: Your Options, Rights and How to Move Forward

This must be an incredibly hard time for you.  Trying to find a way forward is a courageous step. Know that you are not alone; we’ll be here to help you every step of the way.

The very first thing we need to do is make sure you are safe, physically and emotionally, and have access to the resources you need. If you feel unsafe, contact 911 or the RAINN crisis hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

You maintain complete authority over your healthcare, your body, and your pregnancy. No one—including an assailant, family member, partner, or healthcare provider—can force you to carry a pregnancy, terminate, parent, or choose adoption against your will. We can help you make sure your rights are protected.

If you are considering adoption, need help with things like cost, food, and housing, or simply need a safe, confidential space to talk through your options, you can connect with a licensed specialist today at 1-800-ADOPTION.

Medical Care and Immediate Safety Come First

Your immediate physical safety and medical well-being are the top priorities. Even if some time has passed, seeking medical care protects your physical health, and can stay completely confidential. You have the right to know what will happen before an exam begins, decline any portion of an evaluation, and bring a trusted companion for support.

• Confirm your physical safety and privacy before scheduling appointments or sharing information with anyone. If you have doubts about your safety, contact 911 or the RAINN crisis hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
• Healthcare workers will treat physical injuries so your body can heal properly.
• You’ll be asked to undergo a confidential sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, health screenings, and an ultrasound to establish gestational timing, which can be important to your health and establishing abortion access.

Where to Find Support After Sexual Assault When You Are Pregnant

Confidential, trauma-informed resources are available to help you process your experience, understand your rights, and connect with practical care. You do not have to navigate these decisions alone or rely on people in your personal life who may not feel safe.

Advocates provide objective, non-judgmental support and respect your personal boundaries:

• Dedicated crisis helplines such as the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at 1-800-656-4673 or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) offer 24/7 confidential safety planning.
• Licensed mental health professionals specializing in reproductive trauma provide tailored therapy to help you process your experiences and regain emotional stability at your own pace.
• Local community domestic violence advocates provide practical safety planning, emergency housing, and protection orders.

Your Unplanned Pregnancy Options

You have three legal options when facing an unplanned pregnancy: parenting, abortion, or adoption. The availability of each choice depends on your physical health, gestational timing, financial resources, and the statutory laws of your state.

Each choice carries distinct legal, medical, and personal realities, and you are not obligated to justify your decision to anyone. The right decision is whichever option protects your physical safety, your health, and your long-term stability:

If You Are Considering Parenting

Parenting means carrying the pregnancy to term and raising the child as your own. If you choose to parent, your first step involves identifying practical community support, securing prenatal healthcare, and establishing legal protections:

• Trusted personal allies can provide everyday assistance with infant care, transportation, and immediate emotional reassurance.
• Local family resource centers, parent education classes, and community infant pantries supply practical guidance, baby gear, formula, and clothing.
• Legal aid societies and civil legal clinics can help you file for sole physical and legal custody or obtain civil protection orders that safeguard your family.
• Public benefit programs, including Medicaid, WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), SNAP, and state-subsidized childcare vouchers, help cover necessary medical care, food, and daily living costs.

If You Are Considering Abortion

Terminating a pregnancy is a medical decision that ends the pregnancy through medication or an in-clinic procedure.

If you choose abortion, the laws in your state and the gestational timing of your pregnancy determine your available options:

• Independent clinics and licensed healthcare navigators such as AbortionFinder.org and INeedAnA.com can show verified clinical providers in your area. Planned Parenthood is also an excellent resource.
• Reputable abortion funds can help cover travel logistics, lodging, and procedure costs if you need to travel out of state, and if doing so is legally viable.
• Confidential medical hotlines provide medically accurate advice regarding medication regimens and aftercare.

If You Are Considering Adoption

Adoption means carrying the pregnancy to term and legally placing the child with an adoptive family you select. If you choose adoption, you make the key decisions throughout the process, including choosing the family and deciding what type of ongoing contact you want:

• You select the adoptive parents by reviewing detailed family profiles and video interviews.
• You decide how much contact you want before and after birth, ranging from closed adoption to open updates and visits.
• All medical and legal expenses related to the adoption are covered for you, and lawful living expense assistance is provided where state law allows.
• You retain the legal right to change your mind at any point until you sign legally binding consent documents after birth.

What an Adoption Plan Can Let You Decide

An adoption plan is a written blueprint that outlines your exact wishes for the placement and directs your professional team on how to support you. You control every detail of this plan, and you can update or revise your choices as your pregnancy progresses:

• Choosing the adoptive family: You review thoroughly screened families from across the United States until you find the parents you feel are right.
• Deciding contact levels: You specify whether you prefer a completely closed adoption or ongoing contact through photos, letters, phone calls, or visits.
• Designing delivery room care: You set the rules for labor and delivery, including who is present and who holds the baby first.
• Setting communication boundaries: You establish how and when your adoption specialist contacts you to ensure total personal privacy.
• Accessing living assistance: Depending on state law, your plan can coordinate court-approved financial support for rent, utilities, food, and maternity clothes.

Can the Person Who Caused the Pregnancy Have Parental Rights?

The legal rights of a biological father depend on state statutory laws, the establishment of legal paternity, and whether criminal proceedings or convictions have occurred. In instances of sexual assault, many states have specific legal statutes that restrict, terminate, or bypass the parental rights of the assailant.

An adoption attorney assigned to your care will handle all legal proceedings to protect your safety and terminate parental rights without requiring you to confront your assailant in court.

Can You Choose Adoption Without Having Contact With the Other Biological Parent?

You do not have to speak to or see the other biological parent to place a child for adoption. State laws require that a biological father's legal rights be resolved before an adoption can finalize, but your adoption attorney manages this entire process on your behalf.

Your attorney handles required legal notices through formal court processes, publication, or putative father registries without sharing your contact details. If the biological father's identity is unknown, your attorney presents that legal reality to the court to allow the adoption to proceed securely.

What If There Was a Criminal Report, Investigation, or Conviction?

A criminal conviction for sexual assault that resulted in conception provides immediate legal grounds in most states to terminate the offender's parental rights without their consent. Many state statutes also prevent convicted perpetrators from obtaining custody, visitation, or notice of adoption proceedings.

If an investigation is ongoing or you chose not to file a criminal police report, an experienced adoption attorney can still terminate parental rights through civil family court. Civil proceedings focus on the legal best interests of the child, non-support, abandonment, or lack of established legal paternity.

How the Adoption Process Works

The domestic infant adoption process follows clear legal and logistical steps designed around your safety and choices:

1. Contact an Adoption Professional: Call 1-800-ADOPTION to speak with a licensed specialist who explains your rights and answers your questions with zero pressure or obligation.
2. Design Your Adoption Plan: Work with your coordinator to outline your preferences for family selection, financial support, hospital care, and ongoing communication.
3. Choose an Adoptive Family: Review screened, background-checked families until you find the parents you feel are right for your baby.
4. Receive Financial and Healthcare Support: Access court-approved living assistance and prenatal care coordinated by your agency team.
5. Deliver Your Baby and Execute Your Hospital Plan: Give birth with your pre-selected medical team and coordinators enforcing your delivery room boundaries.
6. Complete Legal Consent: Sign voluntary consent paperwork only after the mandatory state-required waiting period following delivery has passed.
7. Access Post-Placement Care: Receive free, ongoing counseling and post-adoption support as you transition forward.

Make a Hospital Plan Around Your Safety and Boundaries

Creating a hospital plan allows you to establish clear instructions for your labor, delivery, and postpartum stay so the medical team respects your personal boundaries. Giving birth is an intense experience, especially after trauma, making clear personal boundaries essential for your care.

Our coordinators communicate your hospital preferences to the medical staff in advance so you do not have to negotiate them during labor:

• Delivery room presence: You decide whether to have a personal support person, the adoptive parents, or only medical staff present during labor and delivery.
• Time with the baby: You determine whether to hold, feed, and spend private time with your baby, or have hospital staff care for the newborn in the nursery.
• Adoptive family boundaries: You establish clear expectations for adoptive parents at the hospital, including whether they wait in a separate room.
• Discharge timing: You plan your release from the hospital so you can leave quietly and on your own terms.

Your medical team is legally required to follow your directives, and you can change your preferences at any point during your stay.

You Can Talk to an Adoption Counselor About Your Specific Concerns

An options counselor is available to answer questions about the adoption process and explore your feelings without pressuring you toward placement. Exploring this option does not obligate you to choose adoption.

Speaking with our team connects you directly with licensed staff who understand the complex reality of pregnancy after assault:

• Pressure-free information: You can ask detailed questions about placement, legal protections, and privacy safeguards without making any commitment.
• Dedicated emotional support: Licensed counselors offer private, non-judgmental guidance to help you process complex emotions throughout pregnancy.
• Tailored communication: You set the communication methods and frequency that feel safe and comfortable for your schedule.

Support Does Not Have to End After Placement

Physical recovery and emotional processing take time, and American Adoptions provides free, ongoing licensed counseling for as long as you need it after delivery. Placing a child does not mean you are suddenly left on your own.

Our specialists remain available to help you work through post-placement grief, navigate contact with the adoptive family, and access community resources. You can reach out months or years after placement whenever you need support or guidance.

Talk to Someone About Your Adoption Options When You Are Ready

You have the right to accurate information, compassionate guidance, and complete control over your pregnancy decisions. If you want to learn more about how adoption works, what protections are available, or how to create a confidential plan, support is available 24/7.

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