â–ş Listen Live
â–ş Listen Live

NAF Canada hopes to make info about abortions more readily available

Over $3.5 million in federal funding was announced to improve abortion services in Canada, and NAF Canada was one of the recipients of this funding.

“Some of the programs that we are currently doing we have need for expansion. So we do some training for people who are providing abortion care, as well as folks who are interested. But with this funding we are really able to expand our training, as well as our patient or pregnant people support,” said NAF Canada Executive Director Jill Doctoroff.

She said access to information for abortion services is difficult to come by, and oftentimes people don’t know if their own community has any of those services.

“I was the Director of the Elizabeth Bagshaw Clinic in Vancouver which provides abortion care, but when I was at the clinic we often would see people from other health authorities as well, because people didn’t know where to go or what to do to get care in their communities.”

Doctoroff noted that people can reach out to NAF Canada or other organizations to find out if there are services like that in their community.

“There are some abortion care services in Prince George, but it’s not like a program that you can call the hospital and you can get access to care that way. It’s sort of a bit more of like a word of mouth or like public health unit or sexual health clinic might know where to refer people.”

“But if someone’s at home doing a home pregnancy test for example, and find out they’re pregnant and decide they want abortion care, they might not have interacted with the healthcare system, and might not know where to go to get that care,” added Doctoroff.

She said the reason why these services aren’t talked about more often is due to the stigma attached to it, but said they are advocating for more education on the topic.

When reaching out about abortion services here in the north, Northern Health offered the following statement:

“Northern Health, with the support of a network of physicians across the North, provide a range of services and advice for pregnant women, including abortion services. It is important that women understand all of the options available to them, and that they have the appropriate supports in place for their decisions. This can include questions or requests for an abortion, and they can be referred to an appropriate physician or medical clinic.

Individual physicians decide if they will provide abortion services, and if they do, what types they wish to provide. Women may call the Pregnancy Options Line for referral to a doctor in their area. Abortion services are covered by the Medical Services Plan and can be performed in a clinic or a health-care setting in the North. For more information, women should talk to their health-care provider or call the Pregnancy Options line to discuss their individual circumstances and options. These would include medical or surgical options, and so access and any need to travel would depend on individual circumstances.

Northern Health is committed to ensuring everyone needing to access health services can do so safely and with respect for their privacy.”

Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Continue Reading

cjci Now playing play

cirx Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Hartley’s Sports Shorts; Monday, July 14th

Special Olympics BC Summer Games: The 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games in Prince George is officially over.

Organizers “extremely pleased” with Special Olympics BC Games

After two days of competition, the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games have come to a close.  The games brought around 900 athletes to the Prince George area to compete in ten different sports on Friday and Saturday.  "With any large, large tournament like this, you're always running with your hair straight back just to get everything ready, and we certainly managed to put everything together," said Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee Lyn Hall. 

American Doctor finding warm reception on bike ride from Prince George to Alaska

An American doctor making a journey between two countries is finding friends along the way.  Dr. Craig Davis set out from Prince George in June, riding his bike to Juneau, Alaska on his Riding for Peace campaign.  His goal is to spread a message of peace, and to ask "how can we do better." 

Garbage truck replacement coming before City Council

Prince George City Council will consider replacing a garbage truck at tomorrow's (Monday) meeting. According to a staff report, one of the City's garbage trucks was in a serious motor vehicle accident on Foothills Boulevard on May 13, 2024, resulting in the unit being written off by ICBC.

Darin’s Sports Shorts; Sunday July 13th

Recap of yesterday's sports.
- Advertisement -