A day in the life: Sex crisis hotline counselors in this week’s Chron column

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Self-portrait.

In this week’s SF Chronicle column, I describe a day observing counselors for a sexual health crisis hotline/front line volunteer service here in San Francisco. Yes, like SFSI. Here’s a snip:

I’m on my way to visit the offices of a locally-based, national sex crisis hotline; to get there, I decide against a detour and perambulate up the street that goes right through a set of notorious San Francisco housing projects. It’s sunny and hot. I pass by three young African-American girls jumping up and down on an abandoned, stained mattress. They’re shrieking and laughing so much it makes me smile too. I’m guessing they aren’t allowed to jump on the bed at home. Lots of guys are hanging out in groups on porch fronts; I stand out. They all watch me walk by, and we nod a cool “hi” in each other’s directions as I pass.

I arrive at the sex-crisis hotline offices across the street, and they show me around. The walls are covered with resources arranged floor to ceiling in alphabetical order: AIDS/HIV to Clinics; STD and Sex Worker Support to Transgender Youth and more, all with local and national numbers, and Web site URLs. It’s flanked with whiteboards and updated STD-infection rates; I focus for a minute on San Francisco’s monthly report for June tacked on the wall. There was a spike.

A woman ushers me in with a warm hello, then rushes out of the office to help someone find the bathrooms; the phone starts ringing. I am alone, wondering if I should pick it up. Just when I’m about to make a decision, she rushes back in and grabs the line. Her voice lowers and she starts gently talking to someone with apparently a pretty serious question.

The first help call is a young couple that is about to have sex for the first time. They are nervous and I can tell it’s taking a while for the outreach volunteer to help them ask direct questions about first-time sex, but either they don’t know how or are afraid. They’re a heterosexual couple; they want to know how to “do it right,” if it’s going to hurt, and how long “sex should last.” They don’t seem to be asking about birth control or STD barriers. (…read more, sfgate.com)

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2 Comments - COMMENTARY is DESIRED

  1. so loving the makeover. while you are at it, I recommend disqus, it makes leaving comments so fun! and it tweets your comment when you post. I love following you on twitter, and I would love to see some of your comments in posts so that I can follow along with your discussions. You rock!

    thank you always for the great information and resources. you are always so very appreciated!

    kisses
    georgette

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