The Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) is a non-profit information and referral service that addresses

sex Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

, and

sexual health Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, health care, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual well-being during all stages of their life. Sexual and reproductive healt ...

. It serves the community of

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada, and is located in the John Deutsch University Centre of Queen’s University. It is operated by volunteers year round who respond to inquiries by phone or in person. It is funded by student fees from the Alma Mater Society and Society of Graduate and Professional Students at Queen’s University.

History

Dr. Jim Whitley, a math

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

and assistant to the Principal, helped spearhead a student project in 1971 called the Birth Control and Abortion Information and Referral Centre, which was also staffed by full-time coordinators. One of the initial goals of the Centre was to provide information on “birth control, abortion, infertility, vasectomies and veneral disease, and medical referrals.” By 1974, its expanding mandate led to a name change to the Birth Control, VD & Abortion Referral Centre. The Centre moved to the Grey House at 51 Bader Lane in 1975 and established a lending library. The name was again changed to the shorter “Birth Control Centre” in 1983. The Centre began selling sexual health products at cost with the introduction of spermicidal foam and condom wallets in the late 1980s. This selection expanded by 1991 to include spermicidal jelly and sponges. In 1995, the Centre was again renamed as the “(Not Just the) Birth Control Centre” in recognition of its growing mandate, which was again promptly changed to the Sexual Health Resource Centre, which it remains today. In 2004, theSHRC began receiving direct funding from Queen’s University undergraduate students through the establishment of a mandatory $0.85 CAD fee per student. The fee withstood a challenge that it discriminated against students on the basis of religion that same year.

Services

The SHRC is an educational resource to the community it serves. It has its own lending library, separate from the Queen’s University library, and has a diverse selection of pamphlets. SHRC volunteers have also offered educational teach-in sessions for audiences ranging from elementary school to university students and other community groups since 1984. Teach-ins cover a range of topics from healthy relationships,

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

sexually transmitted infections A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, or ...

, and sex toys.

Products

The SHRC also sells an assortment of sexual health and pleasure products at cost. The Centre began selling products in 1987, beginning with spermicidal foam. Contraceptive and protective methods currently sold include a variety of

condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...

dental dam A dental dam or rubber dam is a thin, square sheet, usually latex or nitrile, used in dentistry to isolate the operative site (one or more teeth) from the rest of the mouth. Sometimes termed "cofferdam, Kofferdam" (from German language, German) ...

s, and reality condoms (aka female condoms). The SHRC has also sold sex toys at cost since 2001, such as

dildo A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for sexual penetration or other sexual activity during masturbation or with sex partners. Dildos are made from a number of materials. The shape and size are typically t ...

s, masturbatory sleeves,

vibrators Vibrator may refer to: Technology * Vibrator (sex toy), a device for massage or sexual pleasure used by both men and women * Vibrator (mechanical), a class of devices which create mechanical vibrations for uses such as signaling annunciators, d ...

, and bondage play items. The SHRC also regularly collaborates with community groups in Kingston with a similar mandate, such as HIV/AIDS Regional Services, ReelOut Queer Film Festival, and Sexual Assault Centre Kingston.

References

External links

Sex Toys & Lubricants
{{Authority control Human sexuality organizations Medical and health organizations based in Ontario Organizations established in 1971

History

Services

Products

See also

References

External links