I Told A Health Professional About Being Gang-Raped 52 Years Ago. Her Response Made My Blood Run Cold

“As I spoke, the nurse practitioner shook her head disapprovingly.”

A painful and shameful secret I held onto for 52 years is now out in the world.

HuffPost recently published my essay about being gang-raped as a freshman at a fraternity house at Syracuse University and my subsequent dismissal from art school.

I had kept silent about what happened to me for more than half a century, until the “Cornell Seven” case prompted me to finally speak publicly at 71.

The response has been overwhelming in a way that surprised me. I had hoped other women might recognise themselves in my words, but I hadn’t imagined how many were waiting for that recognition.

I now realised I opened a door into a crowded room of women who had been waiting, in some cases for a lifetime, to speak.

I felt emboldened to help others find the courage to use their voices, but I never expected to be admonished for using mine – especially by a health professional.

I recently had a routine visit at my medical office that turned out to be anything but routine. My regular internist wasn’t available until January, so I scheduled an appointment with a nurse practitioner. I was happy to be seen by her, as my past experiences with 50-something women had only been positive.

I sat in the sterile exam room in the familiar flimsy, light-blue disposable gown. I scrolled through my iPhone to pass the time and marveled at how my social media accounts had exploded with messages from women responding to my essay and sharing their own accounts of sexual abuse. My heart was racing.

After the nurse practitioner knocked and entered the exam room, she sat down at the computer and scanned my lengthy medical history.

Without looking up, she casually asked how I was doing as she typed on the keyboard, and I softly said I was fine, though I admitted I was experiencing some........

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