Start by Believing Day is on April 2nd; here is our campaign’s fourth post! This post is focused on what/who SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) is.
The SANE Program is for anyone who has experienced sexualized violence in the past seven days.
How can it help me?
You can get two types of support:
1. Medical assessment: A nurse will care for your physical needs. For example, they may treat injuries and test for pregnancy.
2. Forensic assessment: A nurse can collect evidence of the sexualized violence for you. You can decide what happens to it.
You can choose to…
– Not do an assessment.
– Do the medical assessment only.
– Do the medical assessment and the forensic assessment at the same time.
You have the freedom to stop an assessment at any time, say “no” to some parts and “yes” to others, and choose whether to report the sexualized violence to the police or not.
How do I access the service?
Call (902) 425-0122 to speak directly to a SANE nurse in the Halifax region. Their response line is free, confidential and always open.
Where is it?
Avalon can connect you with a SANE nurse at four locations in the Halifax region: QEll Health Centre, Dartmouth General Hospital, Cobequid Health Centre, and IWK Health Centre.
For other locations across Nova Scotia, please visit the Nova Scotia Health website.
They support individuals of all genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, abilities and backgrounds.
Visit www.tricountywomenscentre.org for more information.