Sex on the Phone

As practically everyone knows by now, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex--But Were Afraid to Ask is the title of a bestselling book. Now a brand-new Manhattan service will answer all those questions about sex you are afraid to ask--without demanding the price of a book. By dialing 212-867-9044, bashful callers can get the answer to any question about sex without revealing their names. Started last month by Nurse-Psychologist Ann Welbourne, 28, the Community Sex Information and Education Service Inc. has ten paid staffers with training in sociology and psychology, plus a team of 25 trained volunteers manning telephones from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Initially, calls came at the rate of 70 or 80 a day, but the number has already doubled and is still increasing.

Dispelling Myths. Most of the callers say they are married men. Many ask the same general question that Freud posed--and despaired of answering--several generations ago: "What turns a woman on?" Before offering suggestions, Community Sex volunteers gently try to elicit special circumstances and difficulties. The answer most men want is what to do about premature ejaculation. Other problems raised by both sexes concern anatomy, masturbation, birth control, venereal disease, menopause, and where to get an abortion.

When callers seem to be in serious emotional trouble, they are referred to psychiatric clinics. But most people, according to Nurse Welbourne, have "reality-based problems" easily resolved by dispelling myths with facts. "Our basic philosophy," she explains, "is to be nonjudgmental; it's usually a matter of just giving information."

In founding Community Sex, Mrs. Welbourne was inspired by a telephone service for students set up two years ago by Tulane University doctors and social workers. Eventually she hopes to expand the idea to "a walk-in situation where people could come for discussion groups or courses." Meanwhile she is advising people in 60 communities across the country who want to establish similar services, and looking around for "a very humanitarian millionaire" to finance her contribution-supported, nonprofit efforts.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.