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By Liam Verster

Options for Sexual Health clinic closure

Local organization concerned with potential closure of clinic that serves women and girls

Jan 14, 2025 | 2:01 PM

A local non-profit clinic that supports women and girls may be closing, much to the dismay of another local organization.

The Vernon Options for Sexual Health clinic, which provided services including free birth control for British Columbians without MSP, Sexually Transmitted Infection care, Pap screening, pregnancy testing, and more, may be one of the organization’s branches that closes its doors due to financial troubles.

Options for Sexual Health runs clinics throughout the province, including in Lumby, Kelowna and Salmon Arm, though the organization’s website did not say which facilities could be closing.

Vernon Matters learned that, as of Jan. 14, the local Options for Sexual Health clinic was still operational Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The clinic is located at the Vernon Health Unit at the corner of 15th Street and Highway 6.

Archway Society for Domestic Peace issued a released following the closure of the clinic, stating it was “very saddened to hear that another local non-profit that serves women and girs is experiencing financial difficulty.”

Options for Sexual Health clinic closure

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The Society noted this closure also came on the heels of H.O.P.E. Outreach, an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable and exploited women in the Okanagan, was also being dissolved.

“H.O.P.E. Outreach and Options for Sexual Health are crucial organizations that provide essential services to women in the North Okanagan,” Archway Society for Domestic Peace, said in the release.

“Their closure or financial difficulties significantly impact the community, making these women more vulnerable to harm and abuse.”

Archway, which provides wrap-around support for those experiencing gender-based violence, added it had reached out to Vernon-Lumby MLA Harwinder Sandhu’s office to express their concerns, and said “[we] were advised that [Sandhu] is working hard on the issue.”

Archway will be writing letters to Sandhu who would present them to Health Minister, Josie Osborne, and advocate for funding to maintain the Vernon Options for Sexual Health clinic, and asked that people join them in sending letters to the local MLA via email at Harwinder.Sandhu.MLA@leg.bc.ca.

Additionally, Options for Sexual Health launched an online portal where people can advocate for keeping the clinics open by filling in an online form.

Options for Sexual Health did not immediately respond to Vernon Matters’s request for comment.