Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre is trying to raise awareness of its Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program.

The program's existed for 14 years, but Ashley Smith, one of the coordinators, says there may be a large number of people who don't know the service exists.

Edie Adams has been a sexual assault nurse examiner for five years. She says the program offers expediated and individualized care for survivors of sexual assault.

"They're basically in charge of how they want their particular situation to go. We offer the resources, it's up to them to choose what they want, and we go along with that," says Adams.

The SANE program uses a hidden suite to care for patients. The suite includes an examination room, a bathroom with shower, a waiting area for people accompanying the patient, an interview room, and a room for police. There are toiletries, clothes, and warm blankets available. The interview room has a mic on one of the couch arms and a camera mounted on a wall so patients don't feel like they've got recording devices right in their face. As Adams says, the extent to which a person uses the resources is up to them, including whether or not police get involved.

"We just want people to know that if you've been sexually assaulted that you can come here just to talk to us and see what your options are in terms of even just testing and antibiotic treatment and things like that. You don't have to go through a full exam to come here; if you just want to come here and talk to us about it, that's what you can do," says Adams.

In the current fiscal year, HSC’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program has provided care for over 500 people who have experienced sexual assault.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.