Dartmouth Woman Made 300 Calls to Book IUD Removal Amid Nova Scotia Access Challenges
Stephanie Comeau of Dartmouth, N.S., called the Halifax Sexual Health Centre approximately 300 times to secure an appointment for an IUD removal after her family doctor and three gynecologists could not help. The centre's executive director says specialized training requirements and high demand are straining access to reproductive health services across the province.
A woman from Dartmouth, N.S., has described significant difficulties accessing care to have her intrauterine device (IUD) removed, highlighting broader challenges in obtaining specialized reproductive health services in the province.
Stephanie Comeau has been trying to get her T-shaped birth control device removed since June. Comeau suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and experiences debilitating migraines once a month, which she hopes the IUD removal will help address. Her family doctor was unable to perform the procedure and contacted three gynecologists on her behalf without success, as they were either not taking new patients or had years-long waitlists.
Comeau then turned to the Halifax Sexual Health Centre. She called the clinic approximately 300 times before finally securing an appointment for a consultation at the end of September.
Abbey Ferguson, executive director of the Halifax Sexual Health Centre, stated that inserting and removing IUDs require additional training and equipment that some primary care providers may lack. This gap contributes to high demand at specialized facilities. The Halifax Sexual Health Centre currently handles between 500 and 900 appointments per month.
Ferguson noted that Bayer maintains a directory of training for hormonal IUDs and that the Halifax Sexual Health Centre offers shadowing shifts for medical professionals seeking to build their skills. To encourage more health-care providers to offer sexual health services like IUD removal, Ferguson advocated for incentives such as updated medical school curricula and improved billing rates.
In response to ongoing concerns about women's health care access, Nova Scotia's Department of Health and Wellness announced steps to improve services, focusing on gynecology, menopause, and breast screening.