OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 21, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) has launched a new suite of practical resources to support informed consent across elective and ongoing obstetrical, gynaecological and sexual and reproductive health care.

The development of these resources grew out of the SOGC's work on Bill S-228, federal legislation aimed at ending coerced sterilization of women in Canada. The SOGC unequivocally condemns the practice of coerced or forced sterilization. No woman should ever be subjected to permanent contraception without her free, prior and informed consent.

Through the SOGC's advocacy on this bill, a need was identified for clearer, more consistent consent practices and practical tools to help ensure every woman can make decisions about fertility and reproduction freely and with as much information and support as possible.

Developed collaboratively with an expert working group and informed by clinical, legal, ethical and patient-safety guidance, these new resources translate key consent principles into practical tools for clinicians, patients and health care organizations.

The new resources include:

• An Informed Consent Toolkit providing overarching practice guidance for elective and ongoing obstetrical, gynaecological and sexual and reproductive health care. It also addresses consent for permanent and fertility-impacting decisions.
• An Informed Consent Clinical Companion offering practical guidance for common clinical contexts and procedures.
• Informed Consent at a Glance: Point-of-Care Tool, a quick-reference resource for day-to-day clinical practice.
• Supporting Informed Consent: Organizational Action Brief, outlining steps health care organizations can take to strengthen the conditions for informed consent.
• Opportunistic Salpingectomy: Practical guidance focused guidance to support informed consent discussions when opportunistic salpingectomy is being considered

The new resources build on the SOGC's existing Emergency Consent Toolkit, which supports informed consent in urgent and rapidly evolving reproductive health care.

We are also finalizing new informed consent resources for patients, which will be available on the SOGC website soon.

Together, these tools provide practical support for consent conversations and decision-making across different care settings and clinical situations.

This work is informed by the historical and ongoing harms of forced and coerced sterilization, including harms linked to systemic racism, colonialism and discrimination against Indigenous and Black women and others from racialized and marginalized communities. These experiences underscore the importance of consent processes that are clear, voluntary, respectful, trauma and violence-informed and culturally safe.

Explore the full suite of SOGC informed consent resources.

"Every patient must have clear information and be free from coercion when making decisions about reproductive care. Informed consent is more than a signature on a form. These resources offer practical support for clinicians and patients, recognizing that every person and clinical situation is different." – Dr. Nicholas Leyland, President, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

"Informed consent is a basic fundamental requirement in obstetrics and gynecology whether in elective or emergency procedures. Emergency situations may require urgent decision making, however communication, respect, dignity and autonomy remain paramount." – Dr. Modupe Tunde-Byass, President, Federation of Medical Women of Canada.

SOURCE The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada