BC Centre for Sexual Medicine

Overview
What to expect
How to access
How to get here
Find this service near you
Hours of operation

Sexual medicine services assess and treat individuals and couples with concerns with sexual dysfunction and reproductive health.

What to expect

For most people, some form of sexual expression is basic to a fulfilling and healthy life. Therefore, sexual concerns can be extremely stressful and impact a person’s quality of life.

Our services include the assessment and treatment of individuals and couples with concerns in the following areas:

Sexual dysfunction

Difficulties with sexual interest, arousal (penile erection, vaginal lubrication), orgasm/ejaculation.
The experience of pain associated with sexual activity.
Problems in completing chosen sexual acts, such as intercourse.
Sexual or reproductive difficulties associated with psychiatric or medical illness, surgery or injury.

Reproductive health

This clinic accepts patients with infertility resulting from ejaculatory disorders, dysparunia and/or vaginismus impacting fertility (including conditions consequent to psychogenic, congenital, post-surgical, post-traumatic, or illness-related conditions).

How to access

This service requires a doctor's or nurse practitioner's referral. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept self-referrals or walk-ins.

For most people, some form of sexual expression is basic to a fulfilling and healthy life. Therefore, sexual concerns can be extremely stressful to a person's quality of life.

The mandate of the clinic is to provide tertiary (i.e., subspecialty) assessment and care for couples or individuals with a sexual dysfunction. However, because such problems are very common and there is an overwhelming need for service in this area of health, the staff at the Centre regrettably cannot see all the patients referred.

Priority is currently given to those who have pain or other sex-functioning problems with intercourse; to other difficulties around fertility (such as vaginismus, dyspareunia or ejaculatory disorders); and to problems related to medical or psychiatric illness, to post-surgical conditions, or to physical injuries.

BC Centre for Sexual Medicine Referral Form

Check eligibility
Clients must reside within BC/Yukon Territory. 

We are unable to accept referrals of patients with:
- Untreated medical conditions, including drug or alcohol dependency.
- Sexual dysfunctions primarily due to relationship turmoil in which counselling for the latter would be expected to resolve the sexual concerns.
- Sexual dysfunctions due to psychiatric or personality disorders in which treatment of the primary condition would be expected to resolve the sexual concerns.
- Sexual problems that have been addressed by other professionals but the patient has been noncompliant with treatment (i.e., low motivation).
- Concerns centered on "sexual orientation" or "coming out".
- Initial or primary therapy for sexual trauma/abuse.
- Paraphilias in which criminal charges have been laid or are pending.
Get a referral

BC Centre for Sexual Medicine referral form

This service requires a doctor's or nurse practitioner's referral. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept self-referrals or walk-ins.

Physicians and Nurse Practitioners may ask for a referral form to be mailed or faxed from the clinic or they may download our referral form from the link above. It is always helpful to have a detailed referral letter along with copies of other relevant consultations, investigations, etc.

Special consideration is given to requests for "consultation only" (as opposed to ongoing care) of any sexual concern. That is, one to three assessment visits, following which the patient returns to the care of the referring physician with recommendations for management.
Waitlist
With respect to the waitlist, individual clinicians accept referrals based on the Centre's overall policies, on teaching and research duties, and on respective clinical areas of expertise. Accordingly, each clinician will have a distinctive practice profile and waiting period for new appointments.

For the Sexual Medicine program, in general, the wait will be three to six months, but may be longer. For the Reproductive Health Service, patients are usually seen within one to two months.

When the Clinic cannot accept a patient, a letter is sent to the referring physician suggesting other routes. These may include:
1. Recommending specific patient reading material.
2. Notifying the physician of upcoming CME workshops at which they can learn assessment and treatment techniques appropriate to general practice.
3. Providing other resources or therapists in the community who can give appropriate service.

How to get here

BCCSM is located on the second floor of the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre on the Vancouver General Hospital Campus.

This service is available at