The organization in charge of operating 52 sexual and reproductive health clinics says it has an agreement with the provincial government that will keep its services in place for the remainder of the year.
Options for Sexual Health warned in December that without an increase of core funding from the Ministry of Health. The organization, which has provided contraceptives, sexually transmitted infection testing, cervical screenings, and consultations about pregnancies and abortions since 1961, had not received an increase to its funding for 12 years.
In a Feb. 11 statement, Options said it had reached an agreement with the ministry to keep its clinics open in 2025 "and continue discussions to design a long-term sustainable solution."
"This is positive news for not only Options, but also for people who access our services. We are optimistic that these steps will result in sustainable sexual and reproductive health care in B.C. and will allow Options to continue to provide the high standard of health care you have come to expect from us."
Options did not say if it would be receiving an influx of new funding, but a ministry spokesperson confirmed Minister Josie Osborne directed provincial funds be allocated to keep clinics running through the year.
鈥淭he Ministry of Health is also working with them to collectively determine a better approach to maintaining their funding levels in a sustainable way. We are grateful for the services they provide to thousands of people across B.C. Everyone has the right to safe, compassionate and non-judgmental sexual and reproductive care.鈥�
Provincial Health Services Authority provides Options with 84 per cent of its core funding, with the rest coming from grants, fundraising and donations.
The organization, in a letter to Premier David Eby, had requested $800,000 in bridge funding that would allow it to keep half of its clinics open through the next fiscal year. An increase to $1.5 million would guarantee all clinics open.
As of December, Options had shut down seven clinics in seven years, although some of those closures were due to staffing and location issues. It had also shut down seven other clinics "until further notice."
