Options for Sexual Health

What Options for Sexual Health does

Options for Sexual Health is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, founded in 1963 as Planned Parenthood of B.C. The organization delivers sexual and reproductive health care, information, and education services across BC through three integrated lines: clinical services (19 directly managed clinics post-March 2026 rationalization, plus affiliate clinics and telehealth), Sex Sense (a free, pro-choice, sex-positive, confidential phone and email information service operating since February 1996), and sexual health education programs delivered in schools and community settings (including Askable Adult training, Professional Training, and the SHEC certification). Services are free for BC residents with valid MSP coverage; low-cost fees apply for non-MSP clients. Sex Sense is staffed by registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified sexual health educators, midwives, social workers, and abortion counsellors, and has served hundreds of thousands of people across BC, Canada, and globally over 30 years.

The technology stack comprises a MedFar Solutions patient portal supporting online booking up to 30 days in advance, telehealth video appointments, a daily-updated resource manual thousands of pages long, and digital channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and the So Glad You Asked blog launched February 2023). The organization is preparing to launch live text and chat services in late 2026 to expand access beyond phone and email. Underlying technology is conventional SaaS; no AI is deployed in customer-facing services.

Revenue mechanics are non-profit: core operational funding flows from the BC Ministry of Health, BC Immunization Division, BC Women's Hospital Foundation, BC Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, and the Provincial Health Services Authority, supplemented by charitable donations (Charitable Registration No. 10784 8269 RR0001) and minimal service fees for non-MSP clients accepted via e-transfer or PayPal. Despite an increase in core government funding for Sex Sense, education, and community engagement in 2025/2026, insufficient Ministry of Health funding for the clinical program drove the closure of 11 clinics beginning in March 2026. The organization continues to invest in service expansion (RN IUD insertion training via SOGC, text/chat rollout) while operating under a constrained physical footprint.

Name

Options for Sexual Health

Legal name

Options for Sexual Health

Website

https://optionsforsexualhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Options for Sexual Health is a BC-based non-profit (founded 1963) providing free sexual and reproductive health care, the Sex Sense phone/email information service, and sexual health education across British Columbia through 19 clinics, telehealth, and provincial programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reproductive Health Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410), Offices of Physicians (6211)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Planning & Contraception (Including Abortion Care) (HLAKAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contraception & Family Planning Telehealth (birth control, counseling, follow-up) (HLALAHAB), Sexual & Pelvic Health Telehealth (STI care, pelvic pain, endometriosis/PCOS support) (HLALAHAJ), Sexual Health & Relationship Wellness Education (EDAAAHAM)

Keywords

• Sexual health clinics
• Reproductive health services
• Sexual health education
• Contraception services
• STI testing and care

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Core operational funding from BC Ministry of Health for clinic services, Sex Sense program, education, and community engagement. The BC Government recognized these programs as vital and increased core funding in 2025/2026. Additional funding from BCID (BC Immunization Division), BC Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, BC Women's Hospital Foundation, and Provincial Health Services Authority.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Charitable Registration No. 10784 8269 RR0001. Donate page available on website.
3. Clinic Service Fees: No service fees for clients with valid MSP (BC Provincial Government) coverage. Low-cost fees for clients without MSP coverage. Online payments accepted via e-transfer or PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Options for Sexual Health delivers free or low-cost, confidential, pro-choice, sex-positive sexual and reproductive health care through a network of clinics across British Columbia, the Sex Sense telephone and email information service staffed by clinical professionals, and sexual health education programs. Services include contraception (free for BC residents with MSP), STI testing and treatment, Pap screening, pregnancy testing and options counselling, abortion resources, telehealth appointments, and online booking via a patient portal.

Product overview

Options for Sexual Health operates as a provincial sexual and reproductive health organization in British Columbia, offering a unified portfolio of clinical, educational, and informational services. The core offerings include Sex Sense (a free phone/email consultation service), a network of clinical clinics providing birth control, STI care, Pap screening, and pregnancy options, and sexual health education programs. The organization also provides telehealth appointments, an online patient portal for booking, and the So Glad You Asked educational blog. Services are designed to be free, pro-choice, sex-positive, confidential, and youth-friendly across all delivery channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sex Sense

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of thousands of people served across B.C., Canada, and globally
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BC Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of Options for Sexual Health's clinic program, Sex Sense, education, and community engagement programs. Increased core funding in 2025/2026 recognizing these programs as vital. Funding decision in early 2026 resulted in closure of 11 clinics due to insufficient funding to maintain all operations.
• BC Immunization Division (BCID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder providing support enabling Options to provide access to sexual and reproductive health services throughout BC.
• Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder providing support for Options' provincial health services.
• Action Canada for Sexual Health and RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization for Associate Organizations. Coordinates SexPlus Week campaigns. Awards Helen & Fred Bentley Award for Excellence to Sex Sense in 2025.
• Living Wage BCminorOthersCertifying body that granted Living Wage Employer certification to Options for Sexual Health.
• SexPlus WeekcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual campaign week encouraging conversations, addressing misinformation, and providing knowledge about sexual health. Coordinated by Action Canada with Options as participating organization. 2026 theme: Sexual Health and AI.
• BC College of NursescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved expanded scope of practice enabling Registered Nurses to become IUD inserters in June 2025, after nearly 2 decades of advocacy since 2008.
• Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptions Clinical Director Nicole Pasquino authored the first-ever IUD Decision Support Tool (DST) for province-wide use in her role as Nursing Consultant with NNPBC.
• Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides required hands-on education for RNs learning IUD insertions. Options funding training opportunities for 19 RNs and training 2 MDs as preceptors for clinicians becoming IUD inserters.
• Won't Get Weird NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistorical network of care providers who 'won't get weird' when asked about sex. Launched in 2006 alongside 1-800-SEX-SENSE line. Many resources collected during that time remain as frequently referenced sources.
• Ridge-Meadows Foundry (formerly Youth Wellness Centre)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosting Options clinic for Maple Ridge location. Youth Wellness Centre provides space for youth-focused sexual health services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SHORE Centre: Kitchener-Waterloo non-profit providing sexual health clinical services, education, and harm-reduction programming; direct Canadian peer with similar clinic, education, and information-line offerings.
• Planned Parenthood Toronto: Toronto-based sexual and reproductive health clinic and education provider serving diverse communities in Ontario; shares Options' non-profit, education-plus-clinic service model and youth-friendly positioning.
• Centre for Sexuality: Calgary-based non-profit offering sexual and reproductive health clinics, education, and community programs in Alberta; operates a comparable integrated clinic-plus-education model in a different Canadian province.
• Head & Hands / À Deux Mains: Montreal-based non-profit offering youth-focused sexual and reproductive health clinical services, education, and outreach; comparable to Options' youth-only Maple Ridge clinic and youth-education programming.
• Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC) Manitoba: Manitoba-based non-profit delivering sexual health education, training, and resource programs to schools and communities; comparable Canadian peer focused on the education and information vertical of SRH services.
• Women's College Hospital - Bay Centre for Birth Control: Toronto specialty clinic providing reproductive and sexual health care including contraception, STI care, and pregnancy options; comparable clinical service mix to Options' directly managed clinics.
• Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights: National Canadian sexual and reproductive health umbrella organization under which Options operates as an Associate Organization; both deliver SRH advocacy, information, and clinical-program coordination nationally.
• Saskatoon Sexual Health: Saskatchewan non-profit clinic and education provider offering contraception, STI testing, pregnancy options, and sex-ed programs; comparable Canadian community-based SRH service model.
• Sexual Health Nova Scotia: Provincial network of SRH clinics and education programs in Nova Scotia; directly comparable as a province-wide non-profit coalition delivering sexual health clinics, information lines, and education.
• Planned Parenthood Ottawa: Ottawa-based sexual health non-profit offering clinic services, education, and information programming; direct Canadian peer operating a similar integrated clinic-and-education model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/optbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/options-for-sexual-health
• Instagraminstagram.com/optionsforsexualhealth
• TikToktiktok.com/@optionsforsexualhealth
• Xx.com/optbc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Options for Sexual Health