About SHCS & Youth Speak
Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon aims to ensure that information, resources, support, education and services of the highest quality regarding sexuality, contraception, and reproduction are available and accessible to all in our community who need them. Our organization encourages responsible decision-making and behavior, which is respectful of the needs and of the choices available to each individual.
The Clinic
Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon opened our sexual and reproductive health clinic in January 2003. Our services are based on the philosophy that youth have the right to information, access to services, and the freedom to choose among options which will assist them to make informed and responsible decisions about their health and well-being.
At the clinic we offer free pregnancy testing, STI/HIV testing and treatment, PAP screening, low cost Emergency Contraceptive Pill, and contraceptives (free condoms, and the Pill and Depo Provera at cost). We also provide education, workshops, classroom demonstrations, support groups, and resources.
We have a welcoming and non-judgmental staff and experienced physicians and nurses who will meet with clients and help them with their sexual and reproductive health needs.
Youth Speak
Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon's Youth Speak youth education program was founded in January 2003. For the first four months of the New Year a group of 9 youth between the ages of 12 and 17 met once a week for 10 weeks to participate in sexual health education sessions and a focus group. The objective of the focus group was to ensure the Sexual Health Clinic was youth friendly, determine the needs, in general, of youth as it pertained to their sexual health, and develop a print ad campaign for the clinic.
The youths' level of openness, honesty, and sincerity towards the project ensured its success in phase one! This fantastic group of young people provided enough information, feedback, and idea sharing to warrant a phase two of the project. Five selected participants returning to participate and one new addition worked together to develop Youth Speak Phase Two.
This stage of the project was coined 'taking it to the community'.
The five returning group members and one new participant met over
9 months to receive extensive sexual health education training, public
speaking workshops, and group facilitation training. Together they
developed a series of 10 workshops to present to our community of
parents, and youth service providers such as teachers, social workers,
and counsellors. In the workshops the parents and service providers
are taught by the youth how to talk to kids about sexual health and
how they can best handle situations that may come up for youth in
their home and at work.
Youth Speak Mandate
Youth Speak is a youth facilitation group collaborating to promote education and open discussions about sexuality between educators, parents and youth. Our aim is to provide adults with effective communication tools to help them better express themselves and provide them with the knowledge they need to guide youth to make informed and responsible decisions regarding sexual health choices.