Counseling should be offered to all rape survivors and should cover three basic areas as follows:

This is of priority for the survivor and should attempt to reduce immediate rape trauma disorders and long term posttraumatic stress disorders. Clients who present after 72 hours and are therefore not legible for PEP should be provided support with initial counseling and ideally referred for long term on going support for themselves and their family.

This should follow the established National HIV testing guidelines. While examining officers may provide information to the client. It is essential for the counselor to clarify the survivors understanding of the information already provided.
Safe sex should also be advised until follow up testing has been completed given the potential risk of sero-conversion, even in patients taking PEP. If the client is not psychologically ready, the baseline HIV test can be delayed by up to 3 days after commencement of PEP. The counselor should obtain informed consent from the client

Subsequent counseling sessions should be booked to coincide with PEP clinic follow ups. Efficacy of PEP is directly linked to the level of adherence, which unfortunately is often poor in this situation. It should be remembered that PEP only reduces the chances of HIV infection and does not definitely prevent HIV. This needs to be communicated to the client at the beginning of counseling sessions.

Where survivors of sexual assault are children, it is important to provide counseling for their parents/guardians or the adults who brings them/is responsible for their care. Often the adult responsible for the safety of the child feels guilty and blames him or herself for not preventing the violence. If not supported adults may cause more trauma to themselves and the survivors.