The Nelson OPT clinic serves a city in which no walk clinics exist for the city but also for the surrounding communities. This clinic provides vital sexual health education and services that would be very difficult to access if it were to close.
As a Public Health Nurse with the BCCDC, I can assure you that the loss of the services Opt. provides could be devastating to the young women and men of the province. In many areas they have been the only service available for sexual health assessment and treatment, as well as access to birth control and PAP tests.
What is the point of being a progressive enough province to agree that birth control should be free, while simultaneously disabling a critical venue for accessing this care?
This is an absolutely essential sexual wellness service, especially with Syphilis, and sadly now HIV, on the rise.
When I needed to get my PAP done in a hurry, I found this clinic in Penticton which had made my life way less stressful to get the test done.
Otherwise, I would need to wait 8 months for a gynaecologist, or travel to elsewhere for the same service.
The nurse is extremely knowledgeable, professional and friendly.
It will be a huge mistake to close this clinic when we are already lacking of family physicians and services at many ERs!
I have the wonderful pleasure of taking the SHEC program in 2024. It was so fun being able to learn all of this stuff so I can teach about it in my community. Without this funding, this will greatly impact myself and my students, who I want to have the best chance of making healthy decisions about themselves and getting the best information.
It is really unfortunate that the powers that be think this funding isn't important, when we know for a fact is absolutely is! We know how much misinformation is out there, and having Options clinics allows people to get good information that is non-judgmental and supportive.
This is yet another serious hit to our services for people who are in desperate need. It seems like the people have been forgotten and money is more important the closure of this clinic and the loss of funding for other projects here in Vernon is at best disturbing. After all the fuss about helping all of these people just last year we now find ourselves right back at the beginning we went backwards this is not progress it's regress and now Vernon has tossed women aside just like the homeless and the people who use substances what's next the children? Come on we are human beings here one and the same. Picture yourself staggering out of Polson Park beat up sore confused scared not knowing what to do or where to go without a judgemental eye on you. Seriously people where has empathy gone? I mean real empathy where you actually put someone else's shoes on and try to imagine what life must be like for someone else. What happens to a young woman or man after trauma strikes? In the age of trauma informed care Vernon falls short unfortunately.1
The Options clinic in Vernon is the only place I have been able to get my yearly physical exams done. I am lucky to have a family doctor, but he refused to do my yearly checkup and referred me to the clinic instead. I received wonderful care from a female doctor and nurse there. The hours of the clinic are also very convenient for those who work 9-5pm jobs. I have colleagues in town who do not have family doctors and they also access the clinic for their yearly exams. Where would they go if not for this clinic?
