The basic lack of awareness about consent is being highlighted as we enter Rape Awareness Week.

In the 12 months ending January 31st, 5,865 people were subjected to sexual violence.

Nearly 80 per cent of those victims were women and most were aged between 15 and 19 - and those are only the reported incidents.

Dr Cathy Stephenson from Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians Aotearoa said there is unfortunately still a lot of confusion around consent.

"There are still a lot of myths that are bound in society around sexual violence and therefore people have quite a poor understanding of what sexual assault is."

She said victims also often blame themselves.

"[They] feel that somehow they've put themselves in a position where they've asked for this to happen to them whether that's because of alcohol, or a situation they've ended up with or they've taken some drugs."

Dr Stephenson said that's absolutely not the case, and young people should never worry about getting into trouble, or being judged, and not speak up.

She said sometimes people don't realise until some time afterwards, that what happened to them was sexual assault.