- Get to a safe place.
- Call your local Rape Crisis Hotline for support and information. In San Francisco call San Francisco Women Against Rape’s 24-hour hotline at 1 (415) 647-7273 (RAPE) for free, confidential support. Rape crisis advocates are available 24-hours/day and can help with crisis counseling and provide information about and referrals to medical, legal, shelter and other services. If you are not in San Francisco, but still would like support, please feel free to call the SFWAR hotline and we will provide a referral to the rape crisis center nearest you. If you have access to the internet, you can look up the rape crisis center nearest you by visiting the RAINN website.
- Seek Medical Attention. In San Francisco, you can receive free medical attention by going to the Emergency Department at Zuckerburg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center at 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110. At the Emergency Department survivors are seen by nurses from the Trauma Recovery Center / Rape Treatment Center. Five days is the maximum time period in which forensic evidence (including drug testing), and emergency contraception (morning-after pill) can be administered. Three days is the maximum time period for medical HIV prevention treatment (commonly called “PEP”.) STD screening and treatment can be offered at any time. If five days have passed since the assault, and you would like medical treatment call the Trauma Recovery Center / Rape Treatment Center at 1 (415) 437-3000. For more information about seeking medical attention, please call SFWAR’s Hotline at 1 (415) 647-7273.
- Report to the Police. You can choose to report the assault to police by calling 911 or at the Emergency Department at Zuckerburg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. A counselor on San Francisco Women Against Rape’s Hotline 1 (415) 647-7273 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1 (800) 656-4673 can help you understand the process of involving the police.
- Not Report to the Police. You may want to consider writing down as many details as you can recall about the assault and the perpetrator, in case you decide to report at a later time.
- Talk with people who you feel will support you. Sometimes it can help to talk to someone. You may want to talk to a friend, relative, counselor, or someone else you feel close to.
- Confront the perpetrator. You may want to consider seeking support or from someone you trust and who has shown you support about how best to do this to ensure your safety and well-being.