The U needs to be better educated when it comes to sexual health awareness, a recently released study reports.
Trojan brand condoms recently released its 2007 Sexual Health Report Card, the second annual classification of the “sexual health” of colleges and universities in the United States.
The school placed 76th on the list of 139 schools that were graded based on available awareness programs, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, availability of contraception and the number of outreach and peer groups, among other factors.
The U received a 2.73 GPA, which would be a B- average.
“(The U was given a low rank) because of the ignorance of Utah culture,” said Kelli Nakagama, a senior in communication and anthropology. “Parents are so afraid of their kids having young sex (that) they don’t teach them about sex at all.”
Despite low marks, the survey showed that the U is improving. Last year, the U ranked 98th out of 100, according to the survey. The University of Minnesota was at the top of the list, scoring nearly 54 points better than last year. Surveyors believe their score can be attributed to the expansion of programs.
Sylvia O’Hara, a senior in communication, said she did not know if the lack of programs was the issue, but rather awareness of the programs.
“I have no idea what the U offers,” she said.
However, last year she attended an AIDS seminar for a class and found it interesting, she said.
“I didn’t know half the stuff they were talking about,” she said.
Others, however, do not think implementing more programs and activities would help.
“Even if there were (more) seminars, I wouldn’t go to (them),” Nakagama said.
Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan, said in a statement that college students are at a serious risk for unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections or diseases.
“It’s time to evolve the way we address the realities of sexual health and provide students with the practical resources they need to protect themselves,” Daniels said.