A person generally commits the criminal offense of rape by using force, threats of force, coercion, or fraud to have non-consensual sexual intercourse with another person. In some states this criminal offense is called sexual assault. Rape is a felony offense with significant jail or prison time as potential punishment.

Laws vary from state to state and some state laws also include in the definition of rape sexual intercourse with a person who is intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, unconscious, or mentally disabled and unable to consent to the sexual intercourse. And some states have a broad definition of the lack of consent to sexual contact constituting rape and include sexual contact with public servants (police officers, etc.), members of the clergy, mental health service providers, and employees of assisted living centers or nursing homes as lacking consent under some circumstances.

In some states it is rape or sexual assault for a health care services provider performing an assisted reproduction procedure to use human reproductive material from a donor other than the patient’s intended donor.

Rape or sexual assault laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Iowa, rape is legally referred to as 'sexual abuse' and is codified under Iowa Code Chapter 709. A person commits sexual abuse if they perform a sex act with another by force or against the will of the other party, or if the other party is suffering from a mental defect or incapacity which precludes giving consent, or is a child. The law also considers it sexual abuse if the act is done while the other party is intoxicated, drugged, or unconscious and unable to give consent. Additionally, Iowa law recognizes that certain individuals, due to their position of authority or trust, such as therapists, school employees, or caretakers, may not engage in sexual acts with individuals under their care, even if there appears to be consent, as the consent may be deemed invalid due to the power imbalance. Sexual abuse in Iowa is a felony, and the severity of the charge and the associated penalties vary depending on factors such as the use of force, the involvement of a weapon, the age of the victim, and whether the perpetrator is in a position of authority over the victim. Penalties can range from a few years to life imprisonment. Iowa does not have a specific statute addressing the misuse of human reproductive material by health care providers in assisted reproduction procedures, but such actions could potentially be prosecuted under existing sexual abuse or fraud statutes.