Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights is excited to announce the winners of the 2020 Helen and Fred Bentley Awards of Excellence: Island Sexual Health and Saskatoon Sexual Health.
We received strong, compelling applications from organizations and groups across the country but Island Sexual Health’s gender-affirming care program and Saskatoon Sexual Health’s bold use of social media stood out for their innovation, leadership, and creativity.
Island Sexual Health’s GAC @ ISH is a holistic health care program that includes clinical gender affirming services, gender diversity education, peer support services in collaboration with Trans Care BC, a quarterly Trans ID Clinic in partnership with the University of Victoria, and the newly launched Gender Affirming Apparel. GAC @ ISH reaches every year over 155 community members through its clinical services, over 21, 000 people through gender inclusive education, and over 200 people through its partnered peer support services and Trans ID Clinic.
Saskatoon Sexual Health’s Instagram account @yxesexualhealth provides engaging and stigma-free sexual health information in a highly accessible format. Now with over 7000 followers, @yxesexualhealth covers a wide variety of topics like destigmatizing STIs, sexual empowerment, exploring and setting boundaries, pleasure, and comprehensive sex-ed. The ways in which people engage with information, including sexual health information, continues to evolve and @yxesexualhealth is a vital source of sexual health information, particularly at a time when more people than ever are finding this information online.
The Helen and Fred Bentley Awards of Excellence recognize sexual health innovation and leadership in communities across Canada.
Action Canada is proud to count Island Sexual Health and Saskatoon Sexual Health among our Associate Organizations. Our Associate Organizations and partners are changemakers in their communities helping shape and mobilize our movement to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, these organizations have been leading the way in adapting their service offerings quickly to respond to emerging needs in their community. We are constantly inspired by this boundary-pushing work that directly contributes to stronger, healthier communities where people can access their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
For more information about both programs and Bentley Awards, please contact info@actioncanadashr.org.