A Winnipeg-born gynecologist and bestselling creator says she’s had sufficient with america, however she’s additionally prescribing a stark warning for Canadian voters involved about the way forward for their very own reproductive well being care.
Dr. Jen Gunter, whose books embrace The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto, has lengthy been an outspoken ladies’s well being advocate, working to dispel myths round ladies’s sexual well being and our bodies, and fight on-line misinformation.
She’s lived in america for 3 a long time, however now says she’s shifting again to Canada.
Whereas that was all the time a part of the plan, Gunter says her choice was sped up by U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Workplace earlier this 12 months.
“Absolutely the simply gutting of well being care, you already know — it is day after day [that] we’re listening to about some new horror about applications which are being slashed,” Gunter, who plans to reside in British Columbia, informed CBC Information in a Thursday interview from Los Angeles.
“It was predictable, but it surely’s nonetheless form of horrific to see in actual time.”
Gunter, who’s presently residing in California after beforehand spending time in Kansas, additionally stated she feels she wants to go away Trump’s America, as abortion restrictions intensify and put lives in danger.
“I left Kansas as a result of after I was practising there, they modified the legislation and we could not assist individuals who have been mainly, you already know, dying, sick and wanted abortions,” she stated.
“I have been watching this sort of erosion and erosion [of reproductive rights].”
Gunter calls abortion entry a canary in a coal mine, describing it as a approach for governments to marginalize and management half the inhabitants.
“I might say to each Canadian who’s listening to this: You have to be wanting up the voting data of whoever you are voting for within the upcoming election and see how they’ve voted on payments associated to reproductive rights,” she stated.
“In the event that they voted to take your reproductive rights away, they’ll vote to take different rights away as effectively.”
Elevated curiosity in Canada from U.S. docs
There has been a pointy rise in physicians signing up on-line to be taught extra about practising north of the border, in keeping with Canadian Medical Affiliation president Dr. Joss Reimer, who urged politicians to act fast to be able to make it simpler for U.S. docs to maneuver and work in Canada.
“We have seen slashes to their analysis funding. We have seen trusted sources of knowledge just like the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] have their web sites being managed and manipulated by authorities,” Reimer, a Winnipeg doctor who was beforehand the medical lead of Manitoba’s COVID-19 vaccine activity power, informed CBC Information on Thursday.
“We have additionally seen their information units being altered in a approach that makes it tougher for us to belief the numbers which are popping out of their monitoring.”

Though household docs within the U.S. earn extra than these in different international locations, Reimer stated that’s generally not sufficient to maintain them round.
Provinces and territories that may provide much less paperwork, extra entry to analysis and a extra supportive surroundings for U.S. docs can have a better time attracting them, stated Reimer.
“That weighs loads when somebody’s serious about the place they need to work.”
Canada must expedite immigration pathways for U.S. docs all in favour of making the transfer whereas provinces type out licensing points, Reimer stated. Nonetheless, she added aggressive pay and supportive work environments are additionally essential to maintain docs in Canada.
Gunter says she’d wish to see a extra everlasting answer to ease licensing obstacles for docs who transfer interprovincially.
“It would not make sense that you need to should re-apply [for licensure] between completely different provinces. I actually really feel there must be a nationwide license.”
She is not certain whether or not she’ll practise once more in Canada, however does know she desires to deliver her expertise again to her residence nation and make a distinction.
“I need to actually take all of this 40 years of data and say, ‘These are some gaps, I would like to assist fill these,'” she stated.
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