T O P I C R E V I E W
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-18-2010 04:26 PM
Hello, I'm an asian female in my mid 20s. My bf of 5 yrs and I are both monogamous and were virgins untill recently. He is in his late twenties. We have been physically intimate for the past 3 years and have gone upto the level of oral sex. Both of us have a very active libido. About 8 week back, we had our first ever penetrative encounter. It was unplanned, and was anal. He didnt use any lube, used a condom and didnt ask for my permission. I was so numb that i dont recall if it hurt or whether he went slow or fast. I felt like i was raped and was very suicidal following the incident. But he helped me get to terms with it and i got better. 2 days back we mutually decided to try anal sex again. He is usually very considerate but this time too he didnt use any lube and it hurt like hell. I was crying while he was doing it. Though he was gentle and kept kissing me, he did not stop. It hurts to sit, walk or sometimes even stand. I didnt bleed. But my anal muscles feel swollen. Should I go see a doctor? Also, he left immediately after we finished with the sex. And hasn't asked explicitly if i'm fine or not since then. I feel used. Losing one's virginity is a huge taboo in asia and I did it again only because i was ready for it, felt he was the right person and i trusted him. It disturbs me that my first time ever was anal. I feel like a pervert bcoz who in their right mind has anal sex before vaginal?? And the way he did it makes me feel grossly abused. And i dont know how to face my family. Please help me. I dont have anyone else to go to. [ 05-18-2010, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: Hoyden ]
September
Member # 25425
posted 05-19-2010 04:08 AM
Welcome to ST, Hoyden. I'm sorry to hear you are so upset. Let's see what we can do to help you, okay? First things first: If you are still in pain two days after your sexual encounter, to the point that you can't sit or walk properly, then making an appointment to be seen by a doctor is probably a good idea. So that's a good place to start to get you feeling physically better. Now let's talk about your partner and those instances of anal sex. In the first situation, if you had not talked about anal sex as a possibility at all, and he simply penetrated you without consulting you first, and did not listen to your cues, then that would qualify as rape. The second situation is trickier, as you did discuss that and you did consent to it. However, it may also not be too helpful to think about legal definitions here. The bottom line is that you feel violated and hurt, and that's absolutely valid, regardless of whether any of this would hold up as rape in a legal sense. So, let's focus on how YOU feel in this, okay? You are not a pervert, and there is nothing disturbing about having anal sex before having vaginal sex, or about having anal sex at all. It's a perfectly fine sexual activity, just like all others, and there is nothing wrong with it. I know that it can be difficult to let go of cultural perceptions of sex like that, but they're really not useful at all. The real issue here is not that you had anal sex, but how it happened, and how your partner treated you in it. And that's what's not okay, and where you are perfectly justified in feeling violated. Someone who ignores their partner going numb and crying out in pain, and continues on with a sexual activity that is clearly causing their partner discomfort, is not someone who is very considerate or respectful. Especially if it's been an issue before and he went ahead and did the same thing again that you've brought to his attention before. That shows a very profound lack of care or respect for you and your emotional and physical well-being. I've got to be honest and say that his behaviour towards you makes my alarm bells ring. He does not sound like he is a safe partner for you to be with. At the very least, I would encourage you to stop being sexually active with him for the time being. Lastly, I wonder if there's someone you can talk to about this in person? A close friend you can confide in? It sounds to me like some support and someone to be there for you and listen to you would do you a world of good right now. So, if there's someone you can trust with this, I'd encourage you to talk to them and ask for some help. And of course, we will be here to listen and help you through this, too.
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-19-2010 11:43 AM
Thank you Joey, for responding to me. It helps to know that someone listens. The pain has subsided today. I feel better now. I live alone and am emotionally very dependent on my bf. He says he loves me, he takes cares of me and keeps my likes/dislikes in his mind. But there is one aspect of his nature that makes me doubt his commitment to our relationship. He keeps himself aloof while at work and at that moment he's totally inacessible to me, which is basically 5-6 days a week. During this time he doesn do anything but work and I have ample proof of this. He comes to me over weekends/holidays and we are usually in bed and he's very much into me in a physical/sexual manner. Can he be subconsciously treating me as his plaything? When I spoke to him abt ignoring me, he said he's sorry and didnt realize he's doing it. He also wouldnt have heard my cries while having sex because I myself know that I was crying silently. I was moaning, but not screaming. Also, during the first instance of anal sex, we were both naked and in a spoon position, and he was fooling around my bum which was ok with me and I let him know that. He started probing lightly and both of us enjoyed the thrill but I made it clear to him that I didnt want him to penetrate. He said he understood. But in the spur of the moment, he slid in anyways. I was shocked and couldn ask him to stop. He didnt feel/hear any resistance from my side and so he continued. I dont know whether I should continue seeing him or distance myself from him. My emotional dependency and absolute faith in him could be colouring my decision/perception. Its difficult for me to believe that someone I've loved so deeply could be using me as a rag doll. He has been there for me at all times, but there have been a few instances where he's hurt me emotionally, and now sexually, beyond belief. He has always been apologetic later and tried to do things differently. I just dont know. There's nobody I can talk to, not even my close friends because I feel ashamed and dirty. Not because of the anal sex, I accept it as a natural urge, but because of how I was treated. Also, I fear I'll be judged for having an active sexual life in a society where women are typically virgins before marriage. I dont endorse it, but I do fear the repercussions. Your help is appreciated from the depths of my heart. [ 05-19-2010, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Hoyden ]
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-19-2010 12:46 PM
My personal advice would be to distance yourself. No one can "accidentally" have and continue anal sex with someone. This isn't something he did unconsciously, it's something he chose to do. Unless he has some kind of dissociative personality disorder -- in which case, he needs treatment -- he DID know what he was doing, and is not being honest with you. You also express that this is not the first time he has done you harm. So, already there was reason not to stay with this person and reason to strongly consider they are not safe. I know none of this is easy to hear or deal with in a long-term relationship, and all the more so in a relationship where you find yourself having become very emotionally dependent on someone. With talking to friends, please understand that many women in the world are or have been raped or otherwise sexually abused. It may be that even one of your friends has. But if you don't feel like you can try talking to them, or asking for an ear in thinking about not staying in a relationship with someone who isn't safe, we can also try and help you find local resources for that kind of support or counseling if you want to give us a better idea of where you are. I do want to leave you two link to take a look at, okay? Blinders Off:Getting a Good Look at Abuse and Assault Does Your Relationship Need a Checkup?
September
Member # 25425
posted 05-19-2010 01:00 PM
I'm glad I've been able to help some, and you are very welcome. I'd actually like to start by picking up something you said in your last paragraph: that you feel dirty and ashamed because of how you were treated. The fault and the blame here do NOT lie with you. Your boyfriend is the one who has mistreated you, and if anyone should feel ashamed and dirty, it's him. You have done nothing wrong here, and being mistreated by someone else does not reflect badly on you. So, please do not let this stop you from reaching out to someone who could support you now. If you made it clear to him that you did not want to have anal penetration, and he went ahead with it anyway, it does not matter whether you cried out loudly or silently. He a) deliberately ignored the fact that you did not give consent and b) he ignored the fact that you were not into it. While it's never a good idea to expect our partners to read our minds, and it's thus important to voice needs and boundaries, a sensitive and caring partner will also be in tune with you and at least stop and ask if you're okay if you stop responding. Again, this guy does not sound like a safe and caring partner for you, and the things you've said about your relationship only reinforce that. Apologizing and asking for forgiveness are actually also typical patterns of abusers: they know how far they can go, and apologies and promises of change (which they never follow through on) are pretty textbook. So yes, I do think that you would be better off, on the whole, if you broke of this relationship or at least put a stop to the sexual element of it. I'll am going to link you to an article that addresses some of the difficulty that you've voiced in accepting that someone you love could hurt you like this:He's my boyfriend, so how could it have been rape?
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-19-2010 02:49 PM
Thank you Heather and Joey. I will think about what you've said, and try to act on it. There's something else, its a little embarrassing though. Even after what he has done to me, I still feel for him. I want to be with him, and close to him both emotionally and physically. Its an oxymoron really, because my heart expects the healing touch from the same person who's hurt me. And I know that makes me the worst kind of fool there is. I dont want to give the impression that I am spineless, without any sense of self worth. In every other aspect of my life, I have always been very bold and stead fast. And I've kept personal integrity and self respect on the forefront. Its only with him that I feel whatever happens, I would prefer being with him than being without him. And I dont like this feeling a bit. I'm in India, and I dont know of any org that runs programs for women like me. [ 05-19-2010, 02:52 PM: Message edited by: Hoyden ]
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-19-2010 02:57 PM
Can you give me an idea of what area in India? I totally understand what you're expressing about the oxymoron of your feelings here. It's something that a LOT of people who have been abused in any way by partners usually struggle with. Feeling that way isn't, I don't think, about being a fool. An abusive person is still multifaceted like all people are: they are more than their abuse. The trouble is, they also don't come without it, and sticking around because you have those feelings can keep you in danger. Not the best analogy, but to give you a comparison, I have some serious food allergies. I loved some of the things I am allergic to, but they'll still make me sick if I eat them and potentially endanger my health, much as I love them. So, despite loving them, it's important I work hard to avoid them. No one here thinks someone in the position you are is spineless. particularly in relationships where there is or has been abuse, we know a lot about the cycle of abuse and the dynamics of abuse, and know that they also contribute, unfortunately, to someone finding it harder and harder to leave, or feeling like they have to stay. Were you able to read those links?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-19-2010 03:08 PM
In the meantime, before I know more of where you are, here are some resources to start with in India: Sakshi, Delhi. A Violence Intervention for Women and Children -- works on sexual harassment, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and domestic violence. B-67 South Extension Part-1, First Floor, New Delhi-110065. Tel: 4643946/4623295 Email: s.sakshi@mailcity.com Vimochana, 2124 16th B Main 1-A Cross, HAL IInd Stage, Bangalore 560038. Phone: (city code = 80) 526 9307. Deals with many women's issues from domestic violence to labour issues. Activities range from counselling, service provision, education and outreach, mobilizing and organizing, activism. http://www.swayam.info/need_help.htm http://www.pcvconline.org/
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-19-2010 03:33 PM
I get your point. And yes I did read those links. If we discount the last 8 weeks, i can safely say that I have never been abused by my partner. I have been thinking a lot about my relationship. I was emotionally unstable before I met him. He actually supported me and helped me untangle my thoughts. Save a few times before and these two counts of sexual discord, we've actually had a very strong, mutually satisfying relationship. I was wondering if it would be safe for us to go for relationship counselling? I cant seem to discount 5 years of kindness and love that we have between us. Is it a sane idea? Can you help me with places/resources where such counselling would be available? Or am I being too clingy? I'll send you my location thru a PM. Thanks Heather.
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-19-2010 03:38 PM
I cant seem to PM you, is there another way to get the information to you?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-19-2010 03:41 PM
Sure. You can use the email links below ("contact us"). OR, you can call one of those two hotlines in the last two links there, who I'm sure can direct you to more local services if they can't serve you, by any chance.
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-19-2010 03:46 PM
Sent an e mail. Looking forward to your response.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-19-2010 03:48 PM
Got it, and emailed back for you.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-19-2010 05:52 PM
The awesome women over at Pandora's Acquarium just sent me a link on their boards with some additional resources here: http://pandys.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=78048
Navigate
Member # 47136
posted 05-20-2010 03:00 AM
[removed at the request of the OP] [ 05-20-2010, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: Heather ]
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-20-2010 09:28 AM
Navigate: I'm going to need to hear from Hoyden that she asked you here to join in this conversation (rather than just sending you the link to look at) before it gets continued with you as part of it. If she has, then we'll be moderating it with both of you. If she has not, then I am not okay with you taking part in her thread.
Hoyden
Member # 47112
posted 05-20-2010 11:23 AM
I did send him the link, but I DO NOT want him to be a part of this conversation. The reason I sent him the link was so he could read and reflect upon our situation. And in response to his question: I insist you think back to the first time it happened, and try recalling even a single time if you asked me if I was ok or if it hurt. In fact, I challenge you to this. Because you didnt. You can privately let me know whatever your response is, I dont want to continue with you on this forum. About the second time, I have clearly mentioned that it was consensual. My problem is with what happened once you got really into it, and how things were between us the next morning onwards. Heather, if you think it appropriate, you can respond to him privately, thru email or whatever. But I do not want to rehash things with him on a public forum. I've come here for personal healing, not couple therapy.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-20-2010 11:27 AM
That's what I figured. Would you like me to delete his response, then? We also can move this thread to a passworded area of the boards for situations like this, but I'm only comfortable doing that if you assure me you will not share that password with him. Because many of the posts in that area involve users who wanted to be in a protected area to protect against further abuse, we really cannot have someone having access who ill potentially harass anyone, including you.
Navigate
Member # 47136
posted 05-20-2010 11:28 AM
[removed at the request of the OP] [ 05-20-2010, 12:01 PM: Message edited by: Heather ]
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-20-2010 11:30 AM
Navigate: you need to stop responding in this thread. Hoyden has asked you not to, and now I am telling you not to as the moderator and director of this forum and organization. If you can't respect that, I'll simply remove your posting abilities for this forum and make that choice for you.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 05-20-2010 12:07 PM
Sorry I missed this part of your questions: quote: I was wondering if it would be safe for us to go for relationship counselling? I cant seem to discount 5 years of kindness and love that we have between us. Is it a sane idea? Can you help me with places/resources where such counselling would be available? Or am I being too clingy? I'm not a fan of the word "clingy." For sure someone in a five-year relationship is going to have at least some attachment, if not a great deal of it. I don't think that's automatically negative, especially if and when that attachment is healthy and the relationship is healthy. The resources I connected you to are likely the best places to ask about this. My best advice would be to spend some time with your own counseling first, where you could get some help sorting out some of this stuff and be sure this is something you think and feel will be healthy for you to stay in. On the whole, staying in a sexual relationship with someone who sexually abused or assaulted you in any way is just not going to be healthy, but a counselor well-versed in all kinds of domestic violence issues who you can see in-person and talk more with about this is in a better position to help you make that assessment. As well, a relationship once being healthy and changing doesn't mean it can be healthy again. Sometimes it can, sometimes in cannot: it always depends and varies a lot. If they and you decide together that this may be able to be a healthy relationship and is something still of value to you now -- not just something that used to be beneficial, but isn't or is unsafe now -- then they can direct you best to local resources for couples counseling, if that's also something he'd be willing to show up to and participate in.