Sexual health care remains inaccessible to some northerners

ALaurentianUniversity researcher is trying to find out what stops women from accessing sexual health services like birth control, pap smears and tests for sexually transmitted infections.

Lisa Morgans research is the first of its kind in Canada.

Next week, Morgan will drive 2,000 kilometersacross northern Ontario, asking women what they think about the sexualhealth carethey've received.

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A researcher at Laurentian University is crossing northeastern Ontario to talk to women about their sexual healthcare.

A midwife for more than 15 years, Morgan says many women in the north don't have a family doctor or are uncomfortable going to walk in clinics for sexual health issues.

Some of them have family doctors but their family doctors don't do reproductive health care. And some of them don't have family doctors. And we know that women won't go to walk-in clinics for very intimate care."

Instead, they prefer sexual health centres but those aren't always available.

We have to remember that they usually only exist in major urban centres, Morgan said.

If you're living in Hearst orCochrane, it would be nearly impossible for you to travel that distance for your reproductivehealth care."

NancyHanbury, a Sudbury sexual health clinic nurse, knows that demand firsthand.

The clinic sees more than 7,000 patient visits a year.

She said there are many things stopping women, including [Lack of] transportation, or family life, or fear. [Even] just a fear of having a pap test done."

Many women who cannot easily access sexualhealth care simply won't bother with it, Morgan said.

And that's something she hopes to change.

Starting Aug. 1, women can also take Morgan's survey online at http://reproductivehealthcare.ca/