You Sexual Health at Laurier
BIRTH CONTROL
Your birth control options include oral contraceptives, IUD, NuvaRing, patch, and Depo-Provera. Only a medical doctor can give you a prescription for any of these methods or refer you for an IUD insertion. Please call us or drop in to schedule an appointment to discuss starting birth control, to change what you’re currently on, or to consider an IUD insertion.
Don’t forget that you will be asked the date of the first day of your last period. If you can, have this information ready for the nurse or the doctor.
If you are already on birth control, you still need to book an appointment with a doctor to renew it. You can call or drop in, or on the Waterloo campus, you can use our online booking tool.
If you run out of birth control or you can’t get an appointment in time, contact your pharmacist to ask for a bridge (an extra pack). In the meantime, you should also book an appointment with a doctor to renew your prescription. If you have difficulties getting a bridge pack from your pharmacist, call us and ask to speak with the nurse.
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION
The emergency contraceptive pill (Plan B) is a medication that prevents pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or birth control failure. If you need Plan B, call ahead or drop in and ask to see the nurse. Make sure you call us within 72 hours and as soon you can.
When you meet with the nurse, she will ask you some routine questions, such as the date of your last period. She will also ask you the time and date of the last time you had intercourse. She will talk to you about birth control options and sexual health in general.
We charge $15.00 for Plan B. Once the medication has been given to you by the nurse, you will be required to take it in front of her. The SWC is not a pharmacy, and we do not sell medication to third parties or for you to take later.
PREGNANCY SUPPORT
If your period is late, if you have missed your period, if you suspect you may be pregnant, or if you have already done a positive pregnancy test, the SWC is here to support you. Call us or drop in anytime to discuss your concerns with the nurse. If you can, be prepared with the date of the first day of your last period and the date and time you last had intercourse.
Late or Missed Period
The nurse is available on a drop-in basis when your period is late, and you need to take a pregnancy test. If you’re worried or unsure, or even if you just need reassurance, the nurse is here to support you.
You do not have to disclose a detailed reason for why you want to see the nurse to front desk staff. You can just say you have a question for the nurse and would like to maintain privacy.
Positive Pregnancy Test
If you have done a positive pregnancy test at home, drop in or call us to talk to the nurse. We recommend you see us as soon as you can after your positive test.
The nurse will ask for a urine sample to confirm the positive result. She will also ask you for the date of your last period and the date you last had intercourse. She will talk to you about all the options available to you, and she will help you schedule the follow up appointments you need. We also have counselling services available if you need additional support.
Abortion Support
If you have an unplanned pregnancy that you have decided to terminate, the nurse is here to support you. She will make sure you understand what your options are, and she will refer you and help you schedule the follow up appointments you need.
You can drop in or call anytime to talk to the nurse about abortion support. You do not have to disclose a detailed reason to front desk staff. You can just say you have a question for the nurse.
STI TESTING
Routine and symptomatic STI testing are available in the SWC. When you ask for an appointment for STI testing, you may be asked if you are having symptoms. We need to know if you are experiencing symptoms in order to book you correctly, but we will never ask you for unnecessary details or to describe your symptoms.
STI testing can include a urine sample, swabs, and/or bloodwork depending on your conversation with the physician. Don't urinate for an hour before your appointment to make sure your urine is concentrated enough for testing in case the doctor asks for a urine sample.
Symptomatic STI Testing
If you are having symptoms, or if you’ve had a positive contact, we will try to schedule your appointment on a same-day basis. A positive contact is when you were told by a current or former partner that they have tested positive, or if you have received an anonymous text from a public health department. If that’s the case, let us know, so we can try to schedule you a same-day appointment.
Symptoms may include abnormal vaginal or penile discharge, painful intercourse, pain when urinating, mid-cycle bleeding, and vaginal irritation. The most common STI symptom is no symptoms at all, which is why we recommend routine STI testing.
Routine STI Testing
If you are sexually active, we recommend you have routine STI testing every 3 months or whenever you have a new partner. In the SWC, we pre-book routine STI testing appointments. Depending on the schedule, you’ll probably be booked within the week. Online booking is also available. Please note that online booking is not for urgent or same-day concerns. If you are having symptoms or if you had a positive contact, please talk to us schedule your appointment.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU
As a Laurier student, you are entitled to access all of the services offered in the Student Wellness Centre regardless of whether you opted out of a school health plan. We do not charge fees for most of our services, and you will be notified of any possible charges at the time of booking.
Your visits to the SWC are confidential. We are regulated by provincial privacy legislation, and we will never discuss you or disclose anything about you with a third party (including your professors or your parents) without your consent. For more information, review our Privacy and Confidentiality Policy.
Your visits to the Student Wellness Centre are private. When you ask for an appointment for any reason, the front desk staff will ask for some information in order to book you appropriately. You will not be asked to discuss your symptoms at the front desk or for details beyond what we need to know to book sufficient time with the physician. If you don’t feel comfortable telling the secretary what you need, you can write it down, or you can ask to talk to a nurse to explain it in private.
The staff and clinicians in the SWC are here to support your sexual health. If you need help with anything mention above or if you have questions about something not included here, please feel welcome to drop by or give us call.