title: Relationship difficulties postrape: being a male intimate partner of a female rape victim in Cape Town, South Africa.
abstract: In a longitudinal phenomenological study, the lived experience of being a male intimate partner (MIP) of a female rape victim in Cape Town, South Africa, is presented. Nine men participated in four face-to-face, semistructured interviews. The authors describe changes in communication and sexual intimacy postrape and how these changes spiralled into a dysfunctional relationship. Participants were interested in interventions for both partners and particularly for education to improve their communication and sexual relationships postrape. Researchers need to reconsider existing policies related to training programs to develop interventions that can address the needs of couples postrape and, ultimately, enhance their recovery.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Western Cape College of Nursing , Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) , Cape Town , South Africa.
authors.forename: Evalina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Wijk
authors.forename: Tracie C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D013019:South Africa; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013637:Tape Recording