On day three, a large warrant officer had given us some ideas on how to behave when taken hostage by Islamist extremists. He recommended attempting some conversation with one’s captors—“You know, ‘How are the negotiations, guys?’ or ‘Can I have some water?’”—but cautioned against angering them or drawing attention to oneself. “Since you will be taken hostage by Arabs it is likely that they will male-rape you. Remember that in seventy-five percent of cases when you are male-raped, you will get an erection or ejaculate. Do not worry about that,” he said, enjoying the shock of the civilian audience and adding in his best drill sergeant voice, “It does not mean that you are gay.”

Rory Stewart, The Prince of the Marshes: And other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq (2006)