[Psychological reactions of women to rape. Review of the literature].

Rape involves mental and physical trauma for the victim. The mental trauma, of which anxiety and guilt are the most prominent, are the most serious. Rape victims are at high risk of developing serious long-term mental problems. We describe various theories about such reactions and the characteristic patterns of phenomena seen in rape victims. The prognosis is best for victims who contact the health service soon after the incident. We discuss the consequences of the above facts in relation to the best ways of providing relevant medical help to rape victims.