You might need medical support
It’s your choice whether to go to the hospital or a clinic. We are here to help, whatever you decide.
Call us at 250-807-9640 for support.
If you go to the clinic
If you have experienced sexualized violence and don’t want to go to the hospital (you don’t want forensics). There are clinics that can help you with your needs. You can get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) or pregnancy. You can call Health and Wellness at UBCO or you can book an appointment with Options for Sexual Health or visit a medical clinic near you.
If you go to the hospital
If you have experienced sexualized violence recently, you may want to go to the hospital. This can help if you decide to report the assault to police. You may want to get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) or pregnancy.
You don’t have to go alone. Ask someone you trust to go with you. Or you can call us at 250-807-9640 to get support and explore your options. We can arrange safe transportation and meet you at the hospital. If you are in Metro Vancouver, visit the UBC’s Vancouver Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office.
If you are safe, go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital and ask for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE nurse) at Vernon Jubilee Hospital or the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) at Kelowna General Hospital and Penticton Regional Hospital.
Nurses are on-call 24 hours a day
Vernon Jubilee Hospital
Sexual Assault Service
2101 32 St.
Vernon, BC
Phone: 250-545-2211
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Physicians on call 24 hours a day
Kelowna General Hospital
Sexual Assault Service
2268 Pandosy St.
Kelowna, BC
Phone: 250-862-4000
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Physicians on call 24 hours a day
Penticton General Hospital
550 Carmi Ave.
Penticton, BC
Phone: 250-492-4000
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Specialized nurses and/or doctors are on-call 24 hours a day unless otherwise stated.
East Kootenay Regional Hospital (Cranbrook)
13 24 Avenue N
Cranbrook, BC
Phone: 250-426-5281
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Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (Trail)
1200 Hospital Bench
Trail, BC
Phone: 250-368-3311
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Royal Inland Hospital (Kamloops)
311 Columbia Street
Kamloops, BC
Phone: 250-374-5111
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Queen Victoria Hospital (Revelstoke)
1200 Newlands Road
Revelstoke, BC
Phone: 250-837-2131
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Nurses are on-call 24 hours a day
Vernon Jubilee Hospital
Sexual Assault Service
2101 32 St.
Vernon, BC
Phone: 250-545-2211
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Physicians on call 24 hours a day
Kelowna General Hospital
Sexual Assault Service
2268 Pandosy St.
Kelowna, BC
Phone: 250-862-4000
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Physicians on call 24 hours a day
Penticton General Hospital
550 Carmi Ave.
Penticton, BC
Phone: 250-492-4000
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Specialized nurses and/or doctors are on-call 24 hours a day unless otherwise stated.
North Island Hospital Campbell River and District
375 – 2nd Ave
Campbell River, B.C.
Phone: 250-286-7100
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Cowichan District Hospital
3045 Gibbins Rd
Duncan, B.C.
Phone: 250-737-2030
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Lady Minto Hospital
135 Crofton Road
Salt Spring Island, BC
Phone: 250-538-4800
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Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
1200 Dufferin Crescent
Nanaimo, BC
Phone: 250-755-7691
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Port Hardy Hospital
9120 Granville Street
Port Hardy, BC
Phone: 250-902-6011
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Tofino General Hospital
261 Neill Street,
Tofino, BC
Phone: 250-725-4010
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Victoria General Hospital
1 Hospital Way
Victoria, BC
Phone: 250-727-4212
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In Victoria, you can also go to the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre
3060 Cedar Hill Road
Call the Vancouver Island Crisis Line at 1-888-494-3888 and ask to speak to a “VSAC Sexual Assault Support Worker”
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West Coast General Hospital
3949 Port Alberni Highway
Port Alberni, BC
Phone: 250-731-1370
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Nurses are on-call 7:30am to 9:30pm every day
Oceanside Health Centre
489 Alberni Hwy
Parksville, BC
Phone: 250-951-9550
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Comox Valley Hospital
101 Lerwick Rd
Courtenay, BC
Phone: 250-331-5900
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Nurses are on-call 7:30am to 5:30pm every day
Ladysmith Community Health Centre
1111- 4th Avenue
PO Box 10
Ladysmith, BC
Phone: 250-739-5777
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Specialized nurses and/or doctors are on-call 24 hours a day unless otherwise stated.
Vancouver General Hospital
Sexual Assault Service
910 West 10th Avenue
Phone: 604-875-2881
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Nurses are on-call 8:00am-10:00pm
UBC Hospital Urgent Care Centre
Sexual Assault Service
2211 Westbrook Mall
Phone: 604-822-7121
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Surrey Memorial Hospital
13750 96 Avenue
Surrey, BC
Phone: 604-953-4723
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Abbotsford Regional Hospital
32900 Marshall Road
Abbotsford, BC
Phone: 604-851-4700 x646147
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Go to the nearest emergency room, clinic or medical practitioner.
At the hospital
When you go to the emergency room, a nurse will ask you questions. Tell them about your health and ask to see a SANE nurse or the SART. The nurse will take you to a private room in the hospital and the SANE nurse or physician will arrive within 1 hour.
Once they arrive they will explain your medical and legal options. You have the right to choose. The nurse will support your choices, regardless of what you decide.
Remember, you have the right to say “no” or change your mind at any time.
Medical Care
With your consent, the SANE nurse or physician can examine you from “head-to-toe”. The nurse will:
- treat your injuries
- offer emergency contraception sometimes referred to as “Plan B” or the “morning after pill”
- offer medications to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
The nurse may recommend that you see a doctor depending on your medical needs.
Collect Forensic Evidence
Whether or not you decide to make a police report, the nurse can document your injuries in a medical-legal report and collect forensic evidence. This gives you the option to make a report in the future.
With your consent, the nurse will:
- take blood and urine samples
- take swabs from various parts of your body
- document your injuries and obtain clothing as evidence
The nurse will give the evidence to the police with your consent. If there is a trial, the nurse can also testify in court as an “expert witness”.
Store Forensic Evidence
You can choose to store the collected forensic evidence even if you do not make a police report. The hospital will store the evidence for one year, so you have time to decide. If you decide to make a police report within a year, the nurse will give the evidence to the police. If there is a trial the nurse can also testify in court as an “expert witness”.
After the hospital
The nurses will provide you with information about various community agencies to get support and counselling.
You also can call us at 250-807-9640 to get support and explore your options.
If you don’t know what to do
Call us at 250-807-9640 to explore your options.