A Trojan study gave Western a high “C” rating when it comes to sexual health information and resources.
Western fell 10 spots on Trojan Brand Condoms’ list of the sexually healthiest schools.
Trojan released its fourth annual Sexual Health Report Card this week, ranking Western 55th — down from 45th last year — out of 141 colleges evaluated across the country, with a grade point average of 2.71.
The study focused on schools that have teams in major NCAA conferences.
Health Services officials say they haven’t heard of the report, but they have several ways to keep students in good sexual health.
Trojan officials said in a news release that they used 13 categories to calculate a university’s sexual health, including:
- Student opinion of the health center
- Availability of sexual awareness programs
- Contraceptive/condom availability and costs
- HIV testing, cost and location
- Other sexually-transmitted infection testing, costs and location
- Availability of anonymous advice
Health Educator Jataun Isenhower, who hasn’t heard of Trojan’s report, said Health Services has several ways to help students who want information on sexual health.
Health Services offers free HIV screenings once a month, as well as screenings for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes and hepatitis B and C for a fee all the time, she said.
Health Services also provides free condoms and information sessions on birth control, Isenhower said.
Students wanting more privacy can e-mail Health Services or use the TopperWell Peer Health Educators program, which is staffed by students trained to give anonymous health advice, she said.
Bruce Tetreault, group product manager for Trojan, said the company came across some “sobering statistics” about sexual health a few years ago, which led to the report’s creation.
Only one in three sex acts involves a condom, and nearly 19 million sexually transmitted infections are contracted a year, Tetreault said.
The report’s research was fielded by an independent firm called Sperling’s BestPlaces.
The company’s president, Bert Sperling, said one aspect of the research involved student feedback from Facebook.
The company advertised a questionnaire on Facebook, with questions including, “Do you feel that your student health service is trustworthy, discreet and truthful when consulted during sexual health issues?”
More than 7,200 students nationwide responded to the survey, representing each of the 141 schools, he said.
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