One hand goes for a lollipop while his other reaches to the shelf below for a condom. Within seconds, the Belmont secondary school student pops in and out of the schoolB次元官网网址檚 sexual health clinic, followed shortly after by another who comes in while his friend waits just outside the door.

B次元官网网址淒o you want condoms?B次元官网网址� he asks his waiting friend.

B次元官网网址沦耻谤别.B次元官网网址�

As the school year comes to an end so does the first year of the Island Sexual Health SocietyB次元官网网址檚 clinic at the school. By all accounts it has been well received and well used by students. ItB次元官网网址檚 free, confidential, done on a drop-in basis with no appointments necessary and most any kind of medical examination and testing can be done right in the school.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 just such a need for that age group to access these services,B次元官网网址� said Charlotte Brown, a registered nurse at the clinic.  B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e meeting the needs of them.B次元官网网址�

Walking into the clinic students are greeted with shelves of a variety of free condoms (flavoured condoms, female condoms, condoms in packages with packets of lubricant), candy (sour lollipops are the preferred choice) and a friendly assistant to talk to students and help them if they require further services.

Students are able to come to the clinic with most problems and never have to visit a doctorB次元官网网址檚 office. The clinic is there to give out information, but with a registered nurse on hand it can also administer pregnancy tests, pap tests, prescribe birth control and screen and treat students for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). If students do need to be referred for other medical attention the nurse can do that as well.

The services the nurse provides are well used. Every Thursday an average of 14 students will see the nurse for a variety of reasons.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of school counsellors are really cool and have condoms and that kind of stuff, but kids just donB次元官网网址檛 feel as comfortable,B次元官网网址� said Courtney Williams, administrative coordinator. B次元官网网址淲hereas, with us, I think they can recognize that nothing is going to shock us, that weB次元官网网址檙e not going to judge them and that this is what we do everyday.B次元官网网址�

The clinic is the first of its kind in a high school in Greater Victoria. The society runs a six-day a week clinic on Fort Street downtown, and a one day a week clinic in View Royal on Tuesdays. But Belmont has the only clinic like it in Langford and the only one specifically for students.

Credit for the idea goes to Sooke School DistrictB次元官网网址檚 community liaison officer Scott Rothermel. He saw an existing nursing space existed that hadnB次元官网网址檛 been used in a couple of years. With the right contacts available to him, Rothermel made some calls and got the ball rolling.

B次元官网网址淢y key is always as much prevention as we can put in place in education the better, and why not sexual health as well?B次元官网网址� Rothermel said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 be foolish to think they arenB次元官网网址檛 active at all. TheyB次元官网网址檙e teenagers. So why not have for them the best knowledge and the best protection?B次元官网网址�

Funding for the clinic came from a variety of sources, including one-time funding from Telus and West Shore Community Policing. They also got two-year funding from the United Way.

Island Sexual Health Society executive director Bobbi Turner estimated it costs about $10,000 to run the clinic for a school year. The society is still securing funding to keep the clinic going next year, but Turner is confident it will come together.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been really successful, thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of interest from the students, and also a lot of the community partners we work with ... (have) said how important it is to have something like this.B次元官网网址�

The reaction from students has been overwhelmingly positive, say staff, and there hasnB次元官网网址檛 been a single concern heard from parents, staff or anyone else.

B次元官网网址淥ur big thing is just making sure people have access to accurate information so that they can make the decisions that are going to be best for them,B次元官网网址� said Williams. B次元官网网址淲e just want to be here for some place that they can come and get whatever they need, in terms of sexual health.B次元官网网址�

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