This information is not intended to serve as or replace legal advice. Please contact a feminist rape crisis centre, transition house or women's centre to get further information and referrals for legal advice for your specific situation.

by Tamara Gorin, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter

Background

Since at least 1999, and up until the current time there are emails circulating, locally and throughout North America, that detail the proliferation of yet another drug used by rapists to incapacitate women.

This drug, called Progesterex, is said to be a veterinary medication, used for horses. The rumour is that it is being stolen by and created by men to use in combination with Rohypnol or other drugs. The most scary thing about this drug is that it supposedly acts to permanently sterilize a woman, so presumably men who are using this drug are trying to prevent pregnancy.

We take this very seriously. Women are daily reminded of the threat of rape. With the hype about so called “date rape drugs” in recent years, women, particularly young women, are carrying an extra burden of fear. We have investigated the situation medically and legally here in Vancouver and through the internet.

It is important to remember that drug and alcohol facilitated violence against women is not a new phenomenon. Men who rape use many tools to make it difficult for women to fight back and drugs and alcohol have long been a worry for women. Also, the combinations of many drugs can often have detrimental effects on our health.

Progesterex is a hoax

We have spoken to hospital staff at both major hospitals in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia that provide emergency sexual assault service. Both had heard of Progesterex and investigated. There was no evidence found of an actual drug called Progesterex in use, anywhere in North America. As far as the investigations of both hospitals go, there is no drug called Progesterex currently in veterinary use or in research/experimental use on campuses and research facilities.

As well, the RCMP forensics unit was consulted and they have not encountered any cases of this drug in forensic cases, violence against women related or otherwise.

What can you do?

Any time a new rumour starts up about a new drug it is just that - a rumour. We ask that people not pass along information they receive about this (or any other drug being used to facilitate rape) to their email lists. It is much better to call their local rape crisis centre, hospital sexual assault unit or even police sexual assault team, pass along the email to them and ask for a detailed response back, which can then be passed on. These rumours are not only creating more fear, they serve to teach men who might not otherwise have had access to the information that there continues to be ways to get away with violence against women. We can counter that by stopping the chain of information in its tracks, doing some investigation and ensuring only the best, woman positive information gets circulated.

Read more articles on this Subject

Rohypnol, Don’t believe the hype a rape crisis centre point of view

For more information read our Feminist Guide to Rape Drugs (text version) or download the pamphlet to your computer for printing.

Canadian Women’s Health Network (link to article, "Projesterex E-mail Hoax")

From the University of Florida (link to article, "Does Progesterex Exist?")