OU came in No. 70 out of 141 in a national survey of sexual health at American universities, moving up 13 places from last year. Among the Big 12 schools, OU ranked fifth.
The survey, sponsored by Trojan Brand Condoms, graded 141 universities in 12 different categories and then calculated a GPA and ranking list. Categories included condom and contraceptive availability, testing availability and cost for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and outreach programs on campus, among others.
OU’s overall sexual health GPA was a 2.44, which is the equivalent of a C+, according to a press release.
Currently, Goddard Health Services offers testing for pregnancy, HIV, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, according to its website. The Women’s Outreach Center has a peer education group called the Sexperts to teach accurate information about sexual health, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
“The Sexperts are students trained in sexual health information,” said Kathy Moxley, coordinator of the Women’s Outreach Center. “They go in pairs to present to groups in residence halls, student organizations, basically anyone who invites us in. They give one-hour presentations on STD and pregnancy prevention.”
Moxley said she does not have experience at other universities but thinks OU does a good job at teaching student sexual health information.
“They can get information on a lot of different topics,” Moxley said. “Of course, there are opportunities for expansion, but that’s how it is with pretty much everything. But there are acknowledgments that this initiative is important for college students.”
The Women’s Outreach Center works closely with Goddard Health Services to cover a range of topics applicable to students, she said.
The Ivy League lost its three-year majority in the top 10, replaced by the Big Ten. Other trends include northern schools ranking higher than southern ones, with every top-10 school being in the northern half of the U.S. and four on the East Coast.
Overall, Columbia University in New York placed first, mainly for its new website that allows students to ask questions about sexual health anonymously in an online service called Ask Alice rather than go to a clinic, according to a press release.
“Columbia has always scored high in sexual health, ranking in the top 10 in the two previous studies for consistent availability of on-site HIV testing, free condoms, anonymous advice capabilities and student peer groups,” said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling’s Best Places, a company that helped conduct the survey.
“This, combined with the success of Ask Alice, helped propel them to the No. 1 spot in our study,” he said.
Sperling said other universities are starting to copy the Ask Alice program as well.
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