The University ranked 73rd in Trojan Brand Condoms’ annual Sexual Health Report Card for 140 major universities. The report card ranks colleges based on contraceptive availability and initiatives to improve sexual health.
The University dropped 20 spots from 53 since 2015.
Trojan’s study is conducted by Sperling’s BestPlaces, an independent research firm. It chooses 140 schools representing each state and the District of Columbia. The firm gathered data through representatives of the schools’ student health centers, followed by independent research on services provided by each campus.
The major categories examined included quality of sexual health information and resources on website, contraceptive availability, HIV-testing on or off campus and outreach programs for students regarding sexual health education.
The LSU Student Health Center said the shift in ranking indicates how the importance of sexual health is growing especially on college campuses. Assistant Director of Wellness and Health Promotion Sierra Fowler said it can be difficult to gauge how each campus conducts itself with regards to sexual health.
“Each campus is unique,” Fowler said. “The services for one university or college may be more appropriate than others. It’s all about your student body and providing services that work for them, so evaluating them on the same scale can be tricky.”
In response to Baton Rouge often being ranked high in AIDS case rates for metropolitan areas, Fowler said the Student Health Center implemented free on-campus HIV testing three years ago.
“This is a perfect example of knowing our students and the community we serve, and creating and promoting services to meet their specific needs,” Fowler said.
Trojan has been conducting this report since 2006. This year, the University of Georgia was ranked first, while Brigham Young University was ranked last.
In schools across the state, LSU was ranked 36 spots behind Tulane University, but in front of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech University, the University of Louisiana-Monroe and the University of New Orleans.
In the Southeastern Conference, Georgia, the University of Florida, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Vanderbilt University,the University of Kentucky and the Univeristy of South Carolina-Columbia ranked ahead of LSU. The University of Alabama, Texas A&M University, Mississippi State University,the University of Mississippi, Auburn University, the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas followed close behind.

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Ryan McCarble

LSU was recently ranked 73rd out of 140 universities in sexual health.