First women’s wellness services start this month

Island women can begin accessing some hospital-based women’s wellness services later this month at Prince County Hospital.

Health PEI will introduce its Women’s Wellness Program services over the next 18 months. Initial hospital-based services to be offered include:

birth control counseling and options, including intrauterine device (IUD) insertion;
counseling for pregnancy options; and
surgical abortions (up to 12 weeks of pregnancy), including follow-up treatment. 

“A great deal of careful thought and consideration has gone into planning for the new Women’s Wellness Program over the past few months, including how best to phase-in hospital and community-based services,” said Kathy Jones, director of public health, women’s wellness and children’s developmental services. “This initial offering of hospital-based services is the first step to providing Island women with safe, confidential, and supportive reproductive and sexual health services.”

Other hospital-based services will be added over the coming months including:

• first-trimester bleeding care;
• prenatal care for women without a primary care provider;
• menopause care; and
• information, navigation and coordination of fertility services.

Until the new Women’s Wellness Centre is constructed, hospital-based services will be delivered at a temporary location within Prince County Hospital. Planning for the new centre is well underway, with construction expected to take 18 months to complete.

“Improving the health of Island women has been our goal and commitment for some time,” said Health and Wellness Minister Robert Henderson. “Our new Women’s Wellness Centre is being designed to help guide a woman through the various phases of reproductive and sexual health they will encounter throughout their life.”

Community-based women’s wellness services, including sexual health services (for all ages and genders) and post-partum mental health services, will be available this March.

Le présent communiqué sera disponible en français d’ici un jour ouvrable au Nouvelles.

Media contact:
Amanda Hamel
Senior Communications Officer
Health PEI
(902) 368-6135
ajhamel@gov.pe.ca