A Thunder Bay bar is now first in Canada to offer pregnancy tests in its women’s washroom.
The dispenser installed at The Outpost at Lakehead University was provided by the group Healthy Brains for Children with the hope of preventing future cases of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder [FASD].
Charmaine Romaniuk, vice-president of the Lakehead University Student Union said although the idea seemed odd at first, it actually fits in with other health promotion initiatives on campus, including providing condoms.
She hopes the vending machine will be a more effective prevention tool than the posters traditionally displayed in bar washrooms warning of the dangers of drinking while pregnant.
“Posters are great. You could see them, you can understand the message, you’d be like, ‘oh I don’t want to drink while I’m pregnant,’” Romaniuk said.
“But the dispenser provides immediate action, so you don’t have to go to a pharmacy and wait until the next day. You could … [test] right now if you wondered.”
