Interesting story in the Montreal

Interesting story in the Montreal Gazette about Quebec's oldest psychiatric hospital:

Sex and Drugs in the Psyche Ward

The story focuses on a recently released patient's accusation of pot and hashish use and the resulting police investigation. But click to the second page and learn:

In September, the facility officially began a three-month pilot project that permits and enables patients to share intimate relations in their rooms.

The move is intended to help put an end to the gritty reality of illicit sex in stairwells and washrooms that occurred throughout much of the hospital's 160-year-old history.

... staff have handled only three requests in the first three months.

One of those requests was from a woman who wanted a vibrator for her birthday. The request was granted. However, restrictions were placed on her use of the device after it was learned she was passing it around to other patients.

I find this so interesting! First, that the hospital is exploring sex as a healing tool. Second, that the staff decided to stop ignoring that sex is part of life, and the decision that residents shouldn't have to sneak it. Third, that the hospital's definition of "sex" includes sexual aids for solo use.

I'm going to give these folks a call in the near future to learn more about this program. It smells like a column to me.

And I love this last bit:

Another request, from a patient who wanted to bring a prostitute into the building, was refused.