At-home STI testing a ‘Band-Aid’ solution for an underfunded sexual health care system
Options for Sexual Health narrowly avoided mass clinic closures this year and funding uncertainty could still jeopardize future services vital to students
By MILENA BAAK
With many sexual health clinics in B.C. facing potential closures, experts say at-home and online testing can make sexual health care more accessible but warn this is only a Band-Aid solution.
The non-profit Options for Sexual Health, which provides sexual and reproductive health care, narrowly avoided closures to 25 of its 30 clinics earlier this year. Options reached an agreement with the B.C. Ministry of Health to stay open in 2025, but future funding is still uncertain.
Inder Dosanjh, a nurse practitioner at Fraser Health, said online testing will never replace the care people receive at in-person clinics, but due to long wait times and lack of services available, it’s a great option right now.
Dosanjh said there is a stigma with the younger generation, which can make students reluctant to get tested for STIs at an in-person clinic.
“Is it a good Band-Aid right now? Yes,” said Dosanjh. “I think it’s crucial to have in-person care as well because you can’t have everything online. You can’t describe all your symptoms online. It’s really difficult, especially with youth.”
At-home STI kits provide a comfortable setting for testing
Langara student Leah Taylor said that she would feel comfortable with STI testing in the privacy of her own home if she needed to do a test.
Tiffany Melius, executive director of Options, said the organization has not received an increase in funding since 2012 despite rising operational costs. Those costs led to staff reductions and clinic closures as funding was stretched.
“It came to a critical point where we weren’t able to do that any longer,” said Melius.
She said planning for the future is difficult when financial support is unsure.
“If nobody is willing to fund us to do this work, then there really isn’t a place for us,” she said.
Options provides sexual health services at its clinics for all ages and sees approximately 12,000 visits annually.
A lack of options could increase the demand on college health services
If Options were to close, Langara’s clinic could see more patients.
Mairi Mallett, a nurse practitioner at Langara Health Services, said in an email, “About 50 per cent of our patients access sexual health services as part of their care at our clinic.”
Mallett said that although they recommend students see a doctor or nurse in person, they sometimes suggest at-home STI kits to students who cannot access clinics or prefer to self-test.
“It’s still better to see a doctor or nurse in person. The self-tests are limited compared to what’s offered in a clinic visit… that said, it’s better than no testing,” Mallett said.
Langara’s clinic often refers students to Options, especially for graduating students no longer eligible for the college’s clinic. Currently, Langara can meet the demand for sexual health services, she said.
“I think lots of students don’t know about the medical clinic or that we offer sexual health services on campus,” Mallett said.
Langara theatre student Mayara Nobre said she is aware of some of the services provided at the campus clinic, but she wasn’t aware that it offers sexual health services.
“In school, they give you pregnancy tests and other stuff, but that’s all I know about sexual health,” Nobre said.