Survivors Have a Right to Complete Medical Care
Providing survivors with accurate information about medical care options can help them access preventative treatments and timely care.
The purpose of medical care is to assess and provide treatment for the physical and mental health of the survivor.
Medical procedures should only be completed with the survivor’s ongoing consent. The survivor can stop or decline any portion of the medical assessment or treatment.
Urgent medical treatment is required if there is a potential risk that the survivor was strangled or has a concussion.
Some preventative treatments are only effective if taken within three days of the sexual assault.
Survivors 13 years or older can access medical care at hospital-based emergency departments, urgent and primary care centres, Indigenous health and wellness centres, community health clinics, walk-in clinics, youth clinics, or from a physician or nurse practitioner (PHSA, n.d.; Population + Global Health, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, n.d.).
Refer to this link to find out which Health Authority and Health Service Delivery Area you are located in.
Refer to the information below for more medical care options and resources.
HealthLinkBC
HealthLinkBC is a free is a provincial health information and advice phone line available in British Columbia. You can search the HealthLinkBC Directory or call 8-1-1 to speak to a health service navigator who can help you find health information and local healthcare services across the province 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The health service navigator can also connect you directly with a registered nurse, a registered dietitian, a qualified exercise professional, or a pharmacist to access information about your health concerns.
HealthLinkBC provides translation services on request in more than 130 languages. State the language you are looking for when you are connected to a health services navigator to access an interpreter. Translated resources are available here.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can access HealthLinkBC using Video Relay Services (VRS), or Teletypewriter (TTY) by by dialing 7-1-1.
Please note that you will be asked to provide your BC Services Card number to access help for non-emergency health concerns.
Sexual Assault Centres
New funding was established in 2023 for sexual assault centres in Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Prince George, and Surrey. Read the news release here. The Victoria Sexual Assault Centre is fully operational and 4 more centres are in development.
Information will be updated as more centres open.
Sex Sense
Sex Sense is a free, pro-choice and confidential service that provides information and resources on sex, sexuality and sexual health for people living in British Columbia including:
- Emergency Contraception
- Consent and Relationships
- Pregnancy Testing and Options
- Abortion Information and Services
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Pap tests/Pelvic exams
You can access Sex Sense Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific Time by calling 1-800-739-7367 throughout BC or 604-731-7803. It is closed on weekends and public holidays.
You can also submit questions through an online form.
Please note that there are exceptions to confidentiality when there is reason to believe that a person under the age of 19 is experiencing abuse or someone of any age is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others.
Sex Sense is not able to assess symptoms or provide medical diagnosis. The service is not intended to be a substitute for seeing a healthcare professional. Sex Sense is also not a counselling, crisis or mental health service.
Sexual Health Clinics and Testing
The Clinic Finder is a BC Centre for Disease Control resource that helps you to find local sexual health clinics for:
- Emergency contraception
- STI testing and treatment
- Pregnancy testing
- HIV testing
- HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
You can also search for services that do not require BC Medical Services Plan coverage.
Emergency Contraception IUD
Go to emergencyiud.com to find a clinician that can help insert an emergency contraception IUD.
Pregnancy Options Service
Survivors can contact the Pregnancy Options Service (POS) for confidential counselling and resources at 1-888-875-3163/604-875-3163, Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, or pos@cw.bc.ca.
The POS also works with healthcare professionals and community workers to facilitate survivor access to safe abortion care (BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, n.d.).
