The Lunenburg Sexual Health Centre wants to let the community know, despite the province being unable to roll out their new Sexual Assualt Nurse Examiner (SANE) program in the region, a community based program continues to run here and provide support to victims of sexual assault.
Julie Veinot says the Sexual Assault Services Lunenburg Queens (SASLQ), a partnership of community organizations, government, and policing agencies, started in 2015.
They provide counselling, education, and accompaniment to the hospital, all for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Veinot also says every hospital on the South Shore can do what’s known as a rape kit.
“My understanding across the province, any doctor can do these kits, but we are fortunate that on the South Shore we have those SANE nurses from the program that launched in 2015,” says Veinot.
For those who do a rape kit and are unsure of whether or not they’d like to report to police, there are also options.
“What’s unique on the South Shore is they don’t have to report it right away, they can choose to have their kit collected and processed with an anonymous number,” says Veinot.
They’re then stored for up to five years, courtesy of the Bridgewater Police Service.
Veinot says she wants to make it clear, you don’t have to leave the region to get help if you’ve been assaulted.
If you need help, contact:
Harbour House Transition House (902) 543.3999
Second Story Women’s Centre (902) 540.3044
Sexual Health Centre Lunenburg County (902) 527.2868
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca
