Check Me Out

04/16/2026

Many folks have never heard of an internal condom before. We wanted to highlight this barrier protection option and make sure folks know what's out there! If you are interested in trying them out, feel free to come by our office at HEAL NS on Spring Garden Road and grab some!

For a more detailed look at how to use the internal condom, take a look at this page on the Check Me Out website. https://checkmeout.ca/all-about-sexual-health/barrier-protection-and-contraception/how-to-use-barrier-protection/internal-condoms/

03/31/2026

Today is Transgender day of Visibility, a day to both bring awareness to the issues that Transgender people face every day and to celebrate the beauty, joy and brilliance in Trans communities. The Check Me Out team is entirely made up of Trans folks, and we are so happy to be able to highlight trans community members through your community ambassadors.

To be in the spirit today, we wanted to share a quote from Sandy Stone, a musician and Trans advocate, the first Trans woman to be inducted into the American National Women's Hall of Fame. She was joined by 5 other Trans community elders in sharing their experiences, wisdom, and hope for the future of Transgender acceptance in GLAD's article they released earlier today to mark TDOV. We encourage you to give it a read, https://glaad.org/trans-day-of-visibility-a-message-from-6-trans-community-elders/

[Image Description: A digital graphic in honour of Transgender Day of Visibility. The background is a lightly purple tinted photo of five people sitting around a table with a progress pride flag hanging in the back. Overtop is bold text that reads "Today is Transgender Day of Visibility". Below it is a translucent purple box with white text that reads "“Sometimes, when everything looks hopeless, when all we have is just the instinct to show up…then just show up. Just show up. Trust that. After a while, in spite of weariness or numbness or despair, the next step appears, and then the next. And then you begin to truly understand who you are and what your gift is and why you’re here.” -Sandy Stone, Transgender Artist and Advocate, in GLAD’s
Trans Day of Visibility: A Message from 6 Trans Community Elders". On the right hand bottom corner it reads "CheckMeOut.ca".]

03/24/2026

Have you browsed CheckMeOut.ca for sexual health information? Made a personalized checklist? We want to know what you think! Your feedback plays a crucial role in how we continue to improve Check Me Out and stay funded.

When you complete our feedback form, you also have a chance to be entered into a draw for $100 visa gift card.

We will have the feedback form open for another couple of weeks✨

Please note, we ask that people fill out the form only after they have used CheckMeOut.ca

Check Me Out is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada

[Image description: a dark green/teal duo toned photo is the background for the graphic. The image shows a close up of a person, back to the camera, looking at the Check Me Out checklist on a laptop. Overtop of the image is bold white text that reads as follows, from top to bottom, "Have you visited CheckMeOut.ca? Used the Checklist tool? Found sexual health info?", "WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU", "Fill out our feedback form for a chance to win $100 Visa gift card". In a maroon starburst shape it reads "LINK @ CHECKMEOUT.CA & IN BIO/LINKTREE"]

03/10/2026

We are so excited to continue releasing our new Check Me Out posters and our next round of community ambassadors.

Gabe (she/her) is a co-owner of 7 years at Outlaw Country Tattoo in Halifax Nova Scotia.
She specializes in minimalism, black work and fine line. Gabe also enjoys playing with traditional styles and colour work.
With over 16 years of experience tattooing and extensive knowledge on tattooing with care and integrity, Gabe is primarily known for working towards safer and more inclusive spaces in the tattoo industry.

A huge thank you to Gabe for taking the time to help us with this project. Gabe is an amazing artist and a true joy to be in community with. We are beyond grateful to call her a community ambassador.

This program has been made possible through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

03/05/2026

Did you know that March is Bisexual+ Health Awareness month? (This includes bi, pan, fluid, q***r, m-spec, and non-monosexuals)
🩷💜💙
This time is used to address the health (mental, physical, and social) disparities that bi+ people face due to issues such as stigma, biphobia, monosexism, inadequate and uninformed [healthcare] services, and lack of bi+ specific research.

Examples of this include:
-A 2018 systemic review and meta-analysis that found ‘a consistent pattern of lowest rates of depression and anxiety among heterosexual people, while bisexual people exhibit higher or equivalent rates in comparison to lesbian/gay people’.
-A 2014 study published by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found that biphobia can hinder bisexual men from coming out, getting tested, and seeking care putting them at greater risk for STIs.

The most relevant bi+ specific research being over half a decade old further exemplifies the gap in research.

Check Me Out is a sexual health campaign promoting our sexual health checklist tool and accompanying website full of related information with a special care for 2S/lGBTQIA+ communities in Nova Scotia. As a sexual health resource by and for 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities, we firmly believe in working towards addressing and dismantling health inequities for all of our communities.

Image Description Slide 1:
A dark purple digital graphic with muted pink wavy lines in the background. Taking up the majority of the graphic is bold text gradiently coloured to match the bisexual flag (pink, purple, blue) reads "Bisexual+ Health Awareness Month". In small white text, "March 1-31", "(Includes bi, pan, fluid, q***r, m-spec, and non-monosexuals), "CheckMeOut.ca"

ID Slide 2: A digital graphic with a gradient of the bisexual flag as the background. Overtop is a translucent dark purple square with white text that reads the same as the caption.

ID Slide 3: A digital graphic with a gradient of the bisexual flag as the background. Overtop is a translucent dark purple square with white text that lists all references:
-https://www.lgbtqhealth.ca/bisexual-community
https://www.rainbowhealthontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RHO_FactSheet_BIHEALTH_E.pdf
-https://www.folxhealth.com/library/understanding-and-addressing-health-disparities-for-bisexual-people
-https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/bisexuality-and-health-the-cost-of-invisibility-2019102918059
-Lori E. Ross, Travis Salway, Lesley A. Tarasoff, Jenna M. MacKay, Blake W. Hawkins & Charles P. Fehr (2018). Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Among Bisexual People Compared to Gay, Le***an, and Heterosexual Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of S*x Research, 55(4-5)
-William L. Jeffries (2014). Beyond the Bisexual Bridge S*xual Health Among U.S. Men Who Have S*x with Men and Women. American Journal of Preventative Medicine

02/23/2026

We are so excited to continue releasing our new Check Me Out posters and our next round of community ambassadors.

Em Bailey (they/them) is a doula, community organizer, and yoga instructor/somatic movement facilitator of South Asian and European ancestry living in Kjipuktuk. Em offers full spectrum doula services for birth & postpartum and gender affirming care through their practice Birthing Transformations. Em is drawn to the work of the Check Me Out program because they have seen and felt the real-life-impacts of accessible sexual health programs and love to support the ingenuity of our q***r and trans communities! For more information on Em or to get in touch with them, you can visit www.birthingtransformations.com or follow them on instagram .birthingtransformations

A huge thank you to Em for taking the time to help us with this project. Em is such a gift to us here and to all of the communities they are a part of. We are beyond grateful to call them a community ambassador.

This program has been made possible through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Check Me Out is a sexual health campaign and customizable checklist tool accompanied by information on STBBIs and testing in Nova Scotia created by the Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia (HEAL NS).

02/09/2026

Did you know that this year’s S*xual & Reproductive Health Awareness Week is February 8-14? Every year, this week brings attention to sexual and reproductive health including related social, systemic, and resource issues.

S*xual and reproductive health does not exist in a silo; it intersects with our understanding of ourselves and others, healthy relationships, and mental and physical health. Factors such as class, race, gender, sexualities, cultural contexts, and systems of oppression all affect our relationships and access to sexual and reproductive health.

Check Me Out believes that everyone deserves access to adequate and affirming information, services, resources, and medication to make the decisions that are best for themselves. This includes the role of pleasure and consent should people choose to be sexually active.

Swipe through for suggested ways to celebrate S*xual & Reproductive Health Awareness week and local SRH resources in Nova Scotia✨

Image description:

Slide 1: Bold white text outlined by dark purple is the focal point of the graphic, reading"S*xual & Reproductive Health Awareness Week". Smaller white text reads "February 8-14, 2026" "CheckMeOut.ca". The background is a blurry purple and pink photo of someone doing an HIV self-test kit.
Slide 2: A purple and pink background has a large purple text box taking up the majority of the image space with white text in the centre. The text is the same as the caption of the post.
Slide 3: A purple and pink background, the same as the first slide but more blurry. There is bold white text outlined by dark purple at the centre top, reading "Looking for Ways to Celebrate?". Below is a purple text box with white text that lists: " -Use the Check Me Out tool and make an appointment for a routine sexual health exam, vaccine. and/or STI test (or use STI Care Now).
-Get educated on your health and issues surrounding SRH.
-Action Canada for S*xual Health & Rights is running a campaign exploring sexual health and artificial intelligence. Check out their resources to learn more about the impacts of AI.
-Volunteer at a local sexual health centre.
-Donate to Halifax S*xual Health Centre’s Compassionate Birth Control Program.
-Write your MLA advocating for barrier free access to SRH services, including PrEP & PEP and contraception.
-Make time for your pleasure!
Slide 4: The same background as previous slides. Bold white text outlined by dark purple at the centre top, reading "S*xual Health Resources Nova Scotia" Below it lists "clinical services: Halifax S*xual Health Centre, The Red Door Kentville (youth only), Ally Centre of Cape Breton, and Truro S*xual Health Centre; Resource navigation: SUGAR Health Warmline"
Slide 5: Bold white text at the top left corner reads "S*xual Health Centres: Programming, support, education, and free sexual health supplies *not clinical". The right side lists the centres: Cape Breton Centre for S*xual Health, Acadia S*xual Health Resource Centre, S*xual Health Centre for Cumberland County, South Shore S*xual Health Centre, Dal S*x Education Centre, SeaHorse (Sheet Harbour) S*xual Health Centre. The lowe left side shows a pink and purple photo of two people with an HIV self-test kit on the table in front of them.
Slide 6: Two screenshots from the Check Me Out website; the welcome/home page and the checklist page. Below there is text that reads "Questions about sexual health? Unsure about what kind of testing you need? You can always visit CheckMeOut.ca for your custom STI testing checklist". The top left corner has an illustration of a character hanging from a bar. The bottom right corner is an illustration of the Check Me Out logo with two people standing in front of it.

02/05/2026

We are so excited to continue releasing our new Check Me Out posters, and our next round of community ambassadors.

Kay Macdonald is an African Nova Scotian, Acadian, Q***r, Trans community educator, artist, activist, facilitator, and performance based artist born and raised in Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki. At the end of 2016, Macdonald co-founded and created The Magic Project, a portraiture project that focuses on the self representation and lived experiences of marginalized communities. In 2020 Kay, Trayvone Clayton & DeRico Symonds created an African Nova Scotian community based, youth-led initiative called The Game Changers. Their collective engages in advocacy, community impact initiatives, and government engagement in direct relationship to African Nova Scotians and their communities. Currently, Kay is working as the Program Coordinator at The Youth Project, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing support and services to youth, 25 and under, around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. As well as, currently holds the role as Co-Artistic Director at Kinetic, a contemporary dance organization based out of Kjipuktuk.

A huge thank you to Kay for taking the time to help us with this project. Kay is such an amazing leader, artist and a joy to be in community with. We are beyond grateful to call them a community ambassador.

This program has been made possible through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Check Me Out is a sexual health campaign and customizable checklist tool accompanied by information on STBBIs and testing in Nova Scotia created by the Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia (HEAL NS).

01/28/2026

Have you used the Check Me Out checklist tool and learned which tests it recommends, but are wondering how to get them done?

Accessing testing in this province can be complicated, but the Nova Scotia Health Initiative STI Care Now has just expanded to provide FREE self-testing for HIV, and self-swabs for Chlamydia, & Gonorrhea to anyone living in Nova Scotia with a Health Care number.
The health card can be expired or from another province!

You can order these tests straight to your home, or pop into our office on Spring Garden to pick them up. Once you have completed them, you will return the samples back to NS Health through the mail, and receive your results from their team of knowledgeable pharmacists!

To learn more about STI Care Now visit: www.nshealth.ca/clinics-programs-and-services/sti-care-now or at the link in our bio.

You can also learn more about other ways to get tested at www.checkmeout.ca/nova-scotia-testing/

Check Me Out was created by the Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia and has been made possible through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

01/23/2026

We are so excited to release our new Check Me Out posters, and our next round of community ambassadors.

Mica Daurie is a 2SLGBTQIA+ community advocate, human rights leader, and TEDx Speaker with years of experience in spaces like government public service, legal and legislative services, corporate services, community engagement, and a wealth of government and community DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion & accessibility) work. She is also a current Adjunct Professor of Field Education (Social Work) with the University of Calgary.

Mica serves as the Founder & CEO of T.R.A.N.S., Trans/Non-Binary Rights Advocacy Nova Scotia. Mica has held roles such as Court Administrator, Election Area Officer (Planning), City Hall Legislative Support, Administrative Coordinator for Council Support, Board of Inquiry Administrator for the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, and more. Mica has smashed glass ceilings as the first openly transgender woman to work at Halifax City Hall, the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, and much more.

Mica serves on the Board of Executives for the Local Council of Women Halifax, and has several ties to community organizations and government bodies and NGO's across the country Mica also serves as the Vice President of Health, Housing and Social Development for National Council of Women Canada.

A huge thank you to Mica for taking the time to help us with this project!

This program has been made possible through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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01/13/2026

Can you believe that today marks the one-year anniversary of when we first launched the Check Me Out website?!

Thank you so much for all your support of this project. We are so excited to continue this beautiful and important work. Keep an eye out for what may be coming to you from Check Me Out in 2026! We hope to not only share more information but also host some fun events in the near future!