Health Initiative for Men to open Abbotsford sexual-health clinic

Those helpful folks at Health Initiative for Men continue to make sexual-health services more accessible and available to men across the Lower Mainland.

They're doing so by creating new health centres outside of the West End for any men who have sex with men (MSM).

HIM's fifth health centre will open its doors in Abbotsford on June 1.

HIM in Abbotsford, located at 104–34194 Marshall Road, will be open only on Monday evenings, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Appointments can be booked by calling the HIM office at 604-488-1001 or online at the HIM website. Drop-ins are welcome.

The clinic will offer the same testing services as the other centres, including rapid and standard HIV testing, STI testing, and free condoms. More services will be announced in the future.

Since 2013, HIM has opened health clinics on Commercial Drive in East Vancouver, and in New Westminster and Surrey. That's in addition to their health clinic in the West End.

Although some of these clinics may have limited hours, it offers some additional options for men who live outside of the West End as well as for men who may have some privacy concerns.

As LGBT populations increasingly expand outside the West End, sexual-health clinics like these are important in addressing the unique needs of LGBT people and where MSM can feel comfortable talking about their sex lives with professionals.