If you are sexually assulted and are a sex worker in San Francisco, DO NOT call 911. Call a friend or a taxi & go to SF General Emergency room. At the triage, tell them you were sexually assulted.
What this does:

1) You never have to give your real name if you don't want to. The Rape Treatment center said if you call 911, there is no guarantee that a) you will be treated respectfully by the officer responding or that b) you will be able to remain anonymous if you want.

2) By saying "I was sexually assulted" at the door of SF General, you will be whisked in to a private room. In 15-30 mins (30 mins MAX), you will have a Rape Treatment Nurse Practitioner with you. You won't have to wait in the main room with the scary people for hours.

3) The nurse practioner will stay with you throughout your time at the hospital. She will explain your medical, mental and legal choices and let YOU decide what you want to do.

4) THE MOST the nurse practioner HAS to report is the name you give her (you don't have to give ID so you can give a fake name) and the very basics (location of attack & time).

5) If you want to report the attack to the police:
Collecting evidence will take about 4 hours. Unless you are seriously injured, the only person who will have to examine you is the nurse practitioner. She will also stay with you for the police interview. The Rape Treatment center said that the Sex Crimes department has always been very respectful. If an officer from Sex Crimes is not available, you may get a regular officer or an officer from the area you were assulted in. Many SFPD officers are great, but some just aren't. Your Nurse Practitioner from the Rape Treatment center will run the interview and if the officer is disrespectful or makes you feel uncomfortable, she will ask the officer to leave.

"Is it too late for me to ..."
-Get HIV post exposure meds?
The cut off to start HIV post exposure meds is 72 hours. 73 hours is too late.
-Make a police report?
It is possible to collect forensic evidence of an attack several days or even a week later.
-Get free counseling from the center?
You can get counseling any time at the center. There is no cut off date.

RESOURCE
If you have *ever* been sexually assulted in San Francisco or if you currently live in San Francisco and have been assulted in the past:

Trauma Recovery Center/
Rape Treatment Center
2727 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 437-3000 (phone), (415) 437-3020 (fax)

Ann Brennan, Nurse Manager, 415-437-3020 (phone)
Medical, counseling and case management services to sexual assault
survivors and their families, including 24-hour medical forensic
examinations, individual and group therapy and assistance with
financial entitlements. Available to all female and male
victims/survivors of sexual assault/attempted sexual assault who are
residents of San Francisco or persons who were assaulted in the area.

Hours: M-F 8 am-5 pm.
Wheelchair Accessible.
Languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, and other languages.
Fees: none

Many centers have Medical/Legal Advocates that can "hold your hand" through the entire process of dealing with what you need to. They will often provide someone to just sit with you while you are in the hospital waiting. So its often a good idea to call them first. They can help you weigh the options of what you want to do. Regardless of whether or not you decide to press charges *get* your health taken care of.

If you do not see the crisis line for your city/county you can find it on the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CalCasa)
Homepage: http://www.calcasa.org
Crisis Lines by County: http://www.calcasa.org/help/help_rcc.html

or to see all counties on the same page go to An Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence Aid and Resource Collection (aardvarc):
http://www.aardvarc.org/rape/states/carp.shtml

Marin & North Bay
Rape Crisis Center of Marin
Hot Line: 1-800-670-RAPE (or 1-800-670-7273)

Oakland - Alameda County
Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR)
Hotline: (510) 845-7273

Sacramento Area
http://weaveinc.org/ (home page)
http://weaveinc.org/help_sa.html (sexual assault page)
Hotline: at 916-920-2952

San Francisco
San Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR)
Website: http://www.sfwar.org/
Hotline: 415-647-7273 (24 Hour Rape Crisis Line)

San Jose
Women Against Rape Crisis Line
Hotline: (408) 287-3000

San Mateo County
Rape Trauma Services
Hotline 650-692-7273

Santa Cruz County
Women's Crisis Support
HotLine: 831-425-4030

Santa Clara County
YWCA Rape Crisis Center in Santa Clara County
Hotline: 408-295-4011

What to Do If You've Been Assaulted
Your immediate safety is first. Try to go to a safe place.
Reach out for support. You deserve it.
Call your local rape crisis center.
Call someone you trust, like a friend or a member of your family.
Get medical attention as soon as possible. Your local rape crisis center can assist you with finding options. Medical care is important, in case you are injured and to protect against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
Sexual Assault is Not Your Fault
You have the right to...

Be treated with respect, dignity and courtesy.
File a police report and receive services, no matter what your relationship is to the assailant.
Not be judged because of your race, age, class, gender, sexual orientation or occupation.
Have a sexual assault counselor come with you to medical, law enforcement and legal proceedings.
Privacy when meeting with a counselor or a police officer.
Understand any forms you are asked to sign.
Ask questions and get answers about any tests, exams, medications, treatments or police reports.
Be told of any necessary follow-up care and testing.
Voice complaints and expect to have them heard and accepted.
If you want to file a police report
It is recommended that you not shower or change clothes before going to the exam. If forced oral sex occurred, try not to drink or smoke. Even if you have already done any of these things, there may still be the chance to get evidence for your case. This should not stop you if you want to file a police report.

You may call a friend, family member or the police to take you to the emergency room. You may want to call your local rape crisis center to ask about how assaults are handled in your area. Bring a change of clothing.

The medical exam is an important part of the evidence collection needed to file a police report. It is important to have the exam as soon as possible, and within 120 hours (five days) of the assault.

You have the right to have an advocate come with you to any medical care and police or legal proceedings.

If you file a police report you can write down the officer's badge number and the case number.

Reporting to the police is your choice. If you decide not to go to the police right away, write down everything you remember about what happened and save it in case you change your mind.

Reactions to Sexual Assault
As a survivor of sexual assault you may find yourself having some of the following feelings:

Anger
Fear
Embarrassment
Powerlessness
Depression
Self-blame and doubt
Isolation
Anxiety
Denial
Shame
These feelings are natural.

Remember:
You are not to blame for what happened. You are alive, you are a survivor and now is the time to begin the process of recovery. Reaching out for support is part of the healing process. Call your local rape crisis center to begin the healing process.