New clinic for sex violence victims
A LONDON-based charity is to open its first Scottish clinic offering specialist health care to survivors of sexual violence in Glasgow.
My Body Back Project will launch the new service for women who have been subjected to sexual assault next month.
The charity was founded in London by rape survivor Pavan Amara after she realised there was a lack of sexual health care for women who have experienced trauma.
Now the Scottish Government has given £30,000 from the Equally Safe (Violence Against Women and Girls) for the new project.
It will be run in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and the West of Scotland Sexual Health Managed Clinical Network with support workers from Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis.
Women will be able to access cervical screening, STI testing and contraceptive care.
My Body Back (MBB) will be based in Sandyford Central, the NHSGGC sexual health clinic off Sauchiehall Street.
A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “The My Body Back service will be introduced at Sandyford Central in February.
“It will be entirely focused around providing as comfortable an environment as possible with dedicated support workers from Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis.
“We are in the final stages of planning and information on how to make an appointment will be available soon.
“The project will bring together the West of Scotland Sexual Health Managed Clinical Network, NHSGGC and Rape Crisis, together with My Body Back (London) to bring the service to Glasgow.”
Pavan founded My Body Back in August 2015 and there are now two clinics in St Barts Hospital in London. Women who book an appointment at an MBB clinic are put in touch with a sexual violence health advocate.
Pavan said: “We realised from quite early on there was a need, because we received many e-mails from Scottish women who have experienced sexual violence, saying they wanted to use our services, but could not afford the travel to our London clinics.
“We are also very grateful that the Scottish Government’s Women and Girls Fund has provided money enabling us to start this in Scotland.”
The charity also runs the Cafe V service to give women the chance to talk about the after effects of sexual assault. This service will also be running in Sandyford Central from spring.