Latest news with #ActionCanadaforSexualHealthandRights
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reproductive health advocates praise Liberal pledges but caution more details needed
Liberal Party pledges to make an access to abortion fund permanent, spend up to $20,000 for IVF treatment and invest in data collection on issues like menopause are welcomed initiatives, some women's health advocates say. But they also cautioned that the party needs to release more details, particularly on how such initiatives would be funded. While the IVF program did lay out an actual dollar amount, the party's platform does not detail how much it would invest in other reproductive health programs. "I'm excited about visible commitments to women's reproductive health, women's safety, gender," said Frédérique Chabot, executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, an organization that advocates for sexual and reproductive health issues in Canada and globally. "There's a lot of measures that will benefit people. And we'll see what it actually looks like if they form government." 'Not a lot of details yet': advocate Chabot, however, also acknowledged there still haven't been a lot of details about what kind of investments would be made. "Is this kind of a bit of lip service?" she said. "We're going to keep an eye on the fact that the words may be there, but there's not a lot of details yet." Over the weekend, the Liberal Party released its election platform which contained pledges to "protect women's rights and prosperity." Those included: A pledge to make permanent the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund Program, which supports community-based organizations that improve access to abortion for underserved communities. A promise to establish a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) program that provides up to $20,000 for a single standard cycle of IVF treatment. A pledge to invest in research into postpartum maternal health. A pledge to to invest in increased collection of data, particularly in understudied areas of menopause, endometriosis, maternal mortality and morbidity, stillbirth and perinatal health. Chabot said she was pleased to hear that a Liberal government would make permanent the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund, which to date has received temporary funding. This would permit the building of real, true infrastructure in Health Canada to have sexual and reproductive health care be an area of priority, she said. "That's good news. It doesn't say any kind of amount or to what degree it would be funded, how they would fund it. So, you know, we'll keep our eyes open," she said. The Liberal Party has promises to establish a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) program that provides up to $20,000 for a single standard cycle of IVF treatment. (CBC) Chabot said her organization is also excited about the pledge to invest in increased data collection, which she hopes includes the continued funding of the first-ever Canadian Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey, which collected data from October 2024 until February. She said other countries are already conducting similar studies to gather information about residents' health status around pregnancy, menopause, fertility and sexual and reproductive health. The last government funded the survey, but there was concern over whether it would continue, Chabot said. Without this data, Canada has been impeded in its ability to make good policy decisions about those issues, Chabot said. Dr. Gayle Robinson a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Toronto, said she welcomed the Liberal Party's focus on these programs but also said she's taking a wait-and-see approach to funding. WATCH | B.C. women face serious challenges accessing menopause care, study finds: "The trouble with these kinds of statements is I don't expect you're going to get details of everything that they want to do. I think what's important is to say this is an important area of research," she said. "It's been difficult to get research funding for any of these kinds of things. I think the question is, do they actually put their money where their mouth is and have money available." Concerns over lack of women and gender equality minister But Robinson was critical that the party made no mention of re-establishing the Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) cabinet position. That was eliminated when Liberal Leader Mark Carney was sworn in as prime minister, along with his slimmed-down cabinet. That department now reports to the minister of Canadian culture and identity. That move to eliminate the WAGE cabinet position was condemned by a number of women's health advocates, including Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. Robinson said if Carney becomes prime minister and doesn't revive that post, it would be a "disaster for all women's health issues." She said that the WAGE cabinet position is a statement by the government that it is committed to these initiatives. "There has to be somebody who's really setting the agenda and setting the priorities and making sure that these things happen," she said. "If this potential government really believes in all of these things, then they need somebody to be in charge of that."
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
STI rates are rising among Canadians in their 60s. Here's what seniors need to know about getting tested
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. Feb. 10-16 is SexPlus Week (formerly known as Sexual Health Week), a yearly campaign to help raise public awareness for sexual health. According to Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, SexPlus Week helps ensure that sexual health is included in public health conversations so that Canadians of all ages can access information about sexual wellness that's free of stigma or shame. One subject the campaign helps address? Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for people of all ages. In 2024, an Ontario health official issued a warning regarding the increase in STI rates in people over 60. STI rates are rising in Ontario residents over 60 years old, according to a health official from the province who is warning older adults. Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting medical officer of health in Chatham-Kent, told the area's board of health that "gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis are three of the most common sexually transmitted diseases across the province," Windsor News Today reported last year. In fact, cases of STI rates have increased across the board: Gonorrhea: up from 60 in 2013 to around 300 in 2022 Syphilis: from 40 in 2013 to about 220 in 2022 Chlamydia: from 150 in 2013 to about 400 in 2022 However, what Nesathurai emphasized to local media is "one thing that's not always acknowledged is that sexually transmitted infections also occur in people in their sixth and seventh decades of life." These older adults are "getting divorced and widowed and they're initiating new sexual relationships," he explained to Windsor News Today, adding many living in long-term care facilities are also sexually active. The doctor told Chatham Daily News that preventing pregnancy at that age is also less of an issue, so people are less likely to use contraception. Nesathurai added testing is important for all ages. But what actually goes into an STI test, and should older people actually be taking the time to get them? Read on to learn more. Tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs, formerly called sexually transmitted diseases or STDs) differ depending on your symptoms and what you're being tested for, along with what your health care provider suggests. However, they can reveal a number of possible infections you may be carrying. Urine samples can detect chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis. Blood samples can spot HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. If you're getting swabbed, typically around the throat, penis, vagina or anus, you might test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis or trichomoniasis. In addition to being available by your health care provider, you can access STI tests at sexual health clinics, local public health units or a walk-in clinic. Canadians can find their closest service through Action Canada's website. I remember in my 20s thinking, 'I wonder if people in their 50s still have sex? I can tell you: Damn right they McGarvie Out of the many existing STIs, Ottawa-based clinical sex and relationship therapist Sue McGarvie explained there are a few that remain non-curable. Two of them, HIV and herpes, do not have any immunizations. But people can get immunized against HPV and Hepatitis. While some people may experience symptoms like itching, discharge, flu-like symptoms or a burning sensation while urinating, untreated STIs can lead to more serious consequences. That includes permanent infertility, increased risk of contracting HIV or a higher chance of developing cancer. Moreover, STIs sometimes don't present any symptoms, meaning you might be spreading infections without even knowing it. Vaccines might help protect you from certain STIs, but they're not the only option when it comes to safe sex. "You need to be thinking of how you're going to be doing safety," McGarvie told Yahoo Canada in a previous interview. "Is it going to be an exclusive relationship where you're both getting tested and you're being authentic and making sure you're not exploring outside of that? Or are you using some kind of barrier method?" The most well-known barrier are condoms, including both external and internal versions. External condoms are those that roll onto penises or sex toys. Internal condoms, on the other hand, are inserted into the vagina or anus, and include a flexible ring inside its sheath to help insertion. McGarvie said using external condoms can be difficult for some older men, because it sometimes can be "harder to maintain an erection with a condom on." In many cases, internal condoms are more common amongst older women. Dental dams are also options that can help cover the skin around your mouth, genitals or anus to prevent STI transmission. I think people dismiss how much and how often people over 50, 60, even 70, are having sex. I'm hoping to have it until they take me away in a McGarvie The Public Health Agency of Canada indicates anyone who is sexually active should be tested for STIs. That includes people who have had unprotected sex, anyone with STI symptoms or people who have had sex with someone who has an STI. But McGarvie says more people may fall under those categories than you might think. "If you're having sex, it doesn't matter how old you are," she shared. "You may not see it as the 60-year-old OnlyFans people, but the truth is, is that sexuality evolves but it sure doesn't go." STIs are currently on a steady rise across Canada — and that doesn't exclude older adults. A Statistics Canada report shows between 2010 and 2019, there was about a 90 per cent increase among people older than 60 per 100,000 population for chlamydia. For gonorrhea, that was a 168 per cent rise, and it was a 218 per cent jump for syphilis. STI tests might seem ridiculous for older adults who are not concerned about infertility — or simply catching an infection at a later stage in life. But McGarvie urged that it's not something older adults should skip out on. "It is no laughing matter to have an antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea," she said. "And why would you at this stage of your life? You have your car insurance, you take your multivitamin — don't be an idiot."
