Since B.C. went into COVID lockdown, we’re pleased to report that Sex Sense has maintained full-service hours and been an accessible resource in a time when so many health services have been limited or shutdown.
We have noticed a few trends surfacing in our Sex Sense calls and emails over the last few months.

ANXIETY The increased level of anxiety that we have noticed in many callers is palpable. Sometimes anxiety fixates on the most unlikely risk or manifests itself in a feeling of emergency to be seen by a doctor immediately. People panic when they can’t reach a service or clinic that they normally frequent, or worry about if they will be able to access their birth control or an abortion in time. It’s been a stark reminder of how essential these services are, how much we count on timely access here in B.C., and what hangs in the balance if people can’t meet their health needs in a reasonable timeframe. A number of callers and emailers contacted us because they were concerned that their hormonal birth control (which they had been on for quite some time) was now giving them side effects of mood swings, depression, and/or anxiety. While validating their experiences, we often remind these clients that pretty much everyone across the board has been experiencing these “side effects” of living in the time of COVID with our current restrictions. Often they thought this could definitely be the case! Similarly, there was an increase in calls from people struggling with sexual function and pleasure, such as difficulties with erections and arousal. Stress can have all kinds of impacts on our sexual lives.

ABUSE Sadly, the heartbreaking upward trend of domestic violence that we have heard about in the media has been a lived reality for some of our clients too. It is clear that the isolation someone faces while living in an abusive relationship, and the isolation a person faces once they’ve left an abusive situation, is a hundredfold worse under COVID isolation. The dangerous implications of not being able to go to someone else’s home for shelter, having childcare or schooling for your children, or being able to access reproductive care, cannot be overstated. In addition to helping these callers and emailers with their presenting sexual/reproductive health needs, we are also able to connect people to resources for both domestic violence and sexual abuse/assault. Most importantly, we can be compassionate, caring, live people to those in desperate circumstances. 

GRATITUDE On Sex Sense, we have been both humbled and touched by the number of thank you emails we have received and the level of gratitude our callers have expressed to us. In a time when many people can’t get through or access a service they need, the simple act of us answering the phone on the first ring or responding to an email promptly has brought great relief to people. The information and resources, delivered with care and empathy, have eased anxieties. Our knowledge of how and where people can still access services has been invaluable to our clients; they have told us so repeatedly. Offering a listening ear and a kind, warm voice on the other end of the line has been perhaps our greatest service during these challenging times.

With gratitude,
Robin