I know it's Sunday, but let's talk about sex

On Monday a Strafford County jury will continue its deliberations on whether an East Rochester man is guilty of raping his wife.

In the midst of the #metoo movement it may be hard to believe, but as recently as 1975 every state in the nation had a marital rape exemption, which meant one spouse could rape the other without fear of going to jail.

However, by the mid-'90s every state and the District of Columbia had eliminated the exemption, meaning a man, or woman, accused of marital rape could face time in prison.

Across the country maximum penalties range from a few years to life.

The only way to be assured neither party in a sexual encounter is arrested on a rape charge is for both parties to mutually agree to sex each and every time, experts say.

Still that wouldn't help anyone who was being falsely accused of nonconsensual sex.

A witness for the prosecution who specializes in analyzing rape victims said during last week's trial it's been shown that between 2 and 8 percent of rape victims are found to have lied about their accusations, but the safety of alleged victims comes first.

During trial testimony it was also learned that across the country police departments responding to a rape call have a predictive arrest policy designed to protect the alleged victim while further investigation into the case continues.

It's widely accepted that males account for the vast majority of rapes, but a CDC study found that, in the United States 1 in 71 men had been raped or suffered an attempt rape, according to Wikipedia. The same study found that approximately 1 in 21 or 4.8 percent of men in a survey had been made to penetrate someone else, usually an intimate partner or acquaintance. In legal terms, penetration is the essence of any rape charge.

So while it may be uncomfortable to talk about such matters on a Sunday morning, which according to a 2000 British study is most couple's fav time to get frisky, it might be the perfect time to have a conversation with your partner first.