A male student has told how he was raped by a former girlfriend to prove that men can be victims too and challenge some of society's common misconceptions.

Avry Ramey, 23, from Florida, first shared his story on the anonymous confession app Whisper, where he received both positive and negative feedback.

Now Anvy has waived his right to anonymity to speak to FEMAIL about the incident, which he says left him feeling 'weak, pathetic and unmanly'.

Avry Ramey, 23, from Florida was raped by an ex girlfriend and has now waived his right to anonymity to speak about the attack

Avry told FEMAIL: 'I am not afraid of the insults or even the mockery that I have faced and will face with what I went through.'

'Because misunderstanding does not scare me. It drives me, to educate, to reach out and to help.'

The 23-year-old student says he is determined to show that anyone can be a victim of rape.

'I am not a small male, and I am not weak by any means,' he explained. 'Nor was my attacker a particularly strong woman, or a big woman.

'Her taking advantage had nothing to do with any of that, because anyone can be a victim to anyone.'

He explains the attack occurred while he was lying in bed naked at his then girlfriend's house, watching TV.

'She was walking about doing things, but then she started staring at me', he recalled. 'I felt something was off from that moment.

'She came over to me threw the blanket aside, and climbed on top of me.'

The student says that his attacker was not particularly strong or a big woman, but she managed to get him in a position from which he couldn't escape

Avry was alarmed and asked what she was doing, but she ignored him.

'She pinned my wrists to the bed and I immediately knew I was about to have an unpleasant experience,' he explained.

'I asked her and begged her to stop, but she was on top of me at just the right angle.

'So even when I writhed and tried to wiggle away, it was useless. I was trapped. She started having her way with me despite my resistance, and I quickly grew tired.

'I gave up soon thereafter. I laid there defeated while she kissed my neck.

'People have asked if I finished or not, which is irrelevant. I don't remember.

'I only remember her stopping when she got tired, which felt like a while. After she lay beside me she apologised. She knew what she did.

Following the attack Avry experienced feelings of shame for not doing more to stop it. He didn't report it to the police as he thought he still loved his girlfriend and didn't feel he would be believed

'All I could say was: "you just f***ing raped me". I felt betrayed, disgusted, hurt and weak. For days after that I didn't feel much like anything.'

Avry did not report the attack to the police, thinking he wouldn't be believed as he hadn't tried hard enough to stop her.

'I remember thinking I should have done more,' he explained. 'I told myself I was weak, pathetic, it was my fault.

'I remember feeling like I could have and should have done more to stop her. I hated myself for it. I still kind of do.'

Avry admitted that he also found himself struggling with his male identity in the aftermath.

'I thought of all the things I had been taught about "manliness" in light of what had just happened,' he said.

'I doubted myself, who I was and my masculinity.'

Avry first shared the story of his attack on the anonymous confession app Whisper. His post received 900 replies and he was flooded with supportive messages from other victims

Avry stayed with his girlfriend for a number of months after the rape, as he went into denial about the attack.

I remember feeling like I could have and should have done more to stop her. I hated myself for it, and I still kind of do.

'I did what I thought was best, I ignored it. I put it out of my mind,' he said. 'I stayed with her because I thought I loved her and her me. That, in my head was reason enough to stay.'

However Avry described how he found it impossible to contain his emotions indefinitely.

'I wanted to cry some days, others I didn't want to look at myself at all,' he said. 'I grew angry and I realised that the relationship wasn't what I wanted.'

Avry still kept the ordeal to himself, until he finally decided to tell his mother in October this year.

'I knew she'd be supportive and consoling, but I imagined it wouldn't be easy for her to hear,' he said.

'Her and I are close. You never want to hear about anyone being raped, much less your own child.

'It was a big deal because I value my mother's opinion as she has raised me single-handedly.

'She assured me that it wasn't my fault and that I was no less of a man.'

A few weeks later, Avry was in a student organisation meeting at the University of South Florida when the subject of male rape came up.

After years of silence Avry opened up to his mother. They share a close relationship and she was very supportive, reassuring him that he wasn't at fault and wasn't any less of a man

He said: 'I felt my face growing hot with shame and embarrassment.

'I said: "I know about this possibly better than anyone in this room, because I was raped". The room fell silent, but I felt okay.'

MALE RAPE: THE FACTS A study conducted in England has found that 3% of males surveyed had experienced non-consensual sex as adults. Police crime figures for England and Wales show there were 3,580 rapes against men in 2014. Although the majority of perpetrators are male, men can be sexually abused by women. However this is not defined as rape under UK law. Erection and ejaculation are physiological responses that can result from physical contact and even extreme stress. They don't imply the victim experienced pleasure. Advertisement

Sharing his story more publicly encouraged Avry to write about it on Whisper the anonymous confession app.

He wrote: 'Last week I openly announced my rape... I'm male. My attacker was female. It does happen.'

His post received 900 responses from around the world, including the UK, Pakistan and Australia.

'I did not expect the attention it got, nor the support, nor the publicity. But I am happy I did it,' he said.

'Because I feel I have helped some people, male and female alike.

'It started with a few messages here and a reply there, but it exploded and I am still getting replies.'

Some people did send him derogatory remarks, but most were supportive.

'People told me: "You are so brave". I had men and women messaging me telling me about their rapes, standing with me in solidarity.

'Some of those people chose to tell me over anyone else about what happened to them.'

However, he also received many questions and messages from people doubting his story.

'I had many instances where's people messaged me asking how, or saying: "That's impossible, explain it to me", many of which I ignored.'

The wave of support has prompted Avry to meet with the victims' advocacy office at the University of South Florida, to discuss having an event to raise awareness of the reality of male rape.