Despite Planned Parenthood Regina’s reopening, experts say women’s healthcare in Saskatchewan is moving backwards.
Although the re-opening is a relief to many, local advocates argue the clinic should not have closed in the first place. Minorities in particular need spaces like Planned Parenthood, said Natasha Bigeau, of the Women’s Centre.
“Marginalised communities especially, it was a safe space for them. A lot of us were negatively affected,” said Bigeau.
With race and healthcare so intertwined in this province and country, she said safe spaces like Planned Parenthood closing are only the beginning of systematic issues present in the province in terms of healthcare.
“In Saskatchewan, those who are status have an R on their health card, which when they are accessing healthcare, automatically outs them as Indigenous, which has been shown to increase racism and reduce quality of care,” said Bigeau.
Planned Parenthood Regina seeks to aid people in presenting resources and methods of protection, such as birth control, to limit the need for abortions. Closures such as the one Planned Parenthood endured only makes people need to access abortions more.
“If the concern is all about abortion provision, then for God’s sake don’t absolutely hamper the ability of the organisation that is out there providing education and resources,” said Jill Arnott, executive director of the Women’s Centre.
Sexual health is healthcare, but closures of major sexual health clinics such as Planned Parenthood creates a debate, which experts believe should not be taking place.
“To know that in 2023 we are harkening back to a time where this was all about controlling women. We are moving into a post-gender world and we should be living already in a world where, of course sexual health and reproductive health is considered healthcare,” Arnott said.
This summer, in the wake of Planned Parenthood Regina’s closure, a new organization was founded in Regina. The Regina Abortion Support Network was created in response to some of the lack of services in the city. They focus on providing financial aid, moral or peer support and transportation to appointments.
Julian Wotherspoon, a worker at the Regina Abortion Support Network, agrees that women’s healthcare is not moving forward as it should be.
“It has sort of felt going backwards recently especially with that long closure of Planned Parenthood Regina,” said Wotherspoon.
Wotherspoon emphasised how important and unique Planned Parenthood is in terms of being a walk-in clinic in Regina. Although other organizations in the city such as this one are able to provide services and resources, having a walk-in facility makes things easier for those who need help.
When asked about the future of women’s healthcare in Regina, Wotherspoon wants the city to start speaking up.
“I would hope that we all get more used to talking about it. When abortion is kept as a taboo or something we don’t talk about it limits accessing services and the ways they can get services. It shifts people’s perspectives,” said Wotherspoon.
