Ottawa ON
Canada
April 21, 2022 - The Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) today released its report, The Adjudication of Sexual Dysfunction Claims Consequential to an Entitled Psychiatric Condition.
Our investigation found sex-based bias in Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) adjudication processes for female sexual dysfunction claims. VAC streamlines male-specific erectile dysfunction claims related to a psychiatric condition, but no similar process exists for female claims. This is unfair.
We also found serious limitations in the availability of accurate VAC client data, which made it impossible for us to measure the impact of this systemic sex-based bias.
To prevent this unfair treatment, the OVO is recommending that the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence act on the five recommendations in our report.
VAC is working to address some of the recommendations made in the report. In January 2022, VAC released new guidance for adjudicating Sexual Dysfunction claims. They plan to update the medical questionnaire and the Table of Disabilities to assess disability claims. We will monitor VAC’s progress and assess the effectiveness of these initiatives in addressing our recommendations.
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Female Veterans with a service-related sexual dysfunction should not have to wait longer or experience an unfair outcome simply because of their sex. We hope our report and recommendations can help to guide changes that ensure fairness for all Veterans with sexual dysfunction.
- Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine, Veterans Ombud
Related Link:
Access the report here: https://ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/publications/reports-reviews/adjudication-sexual-dysfunction
Media Relations Contact:
Lucille Hodgins
Tel: 613-617-7205
Email: lucille.hodgins@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca