Columbia University On Top of Fifth Annual Trojan® Sexual Health Report Card
Trojan and Rock the Vote Join Forces, Point to Sexual Health as Key Political Issue
PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- As midterm elections approach, new research from the makers of Trojan® brand condoms, Sperling's BestPlaces and Rock the Vote shed light on the state of sexual health at American colleges and universities. The findings, in the form of two studies, point to a changing sexual health landscape on campuses, with sexual health coming out as a key political and social issue for college-aged Americans.
The first study, the Trojan Sexual Health Report Card, is an annual ranking of sexual health at American colleges and universities, and saw Columbia University take top honors as the most sexually healthy campus in 2010. Consistently high scores across all categories measured contributed to the school's rise from No. 4 last year and No. 2 in 2008.
According to independent research firm Sperling's BestPlaces, which fielded the study, Columbia's number one ranking is also due to the school's implementation of an innovative new internet resource called "Ask Alice," which gives students the option to submit sexual health questions anonymously online rather than going to the health center.
"The 'Ask Alice' program has been well-received and has actually been mirrored by a number of schools around the country," said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's BestPlaces. "Columbia has always scored high in sexual health, ranking in the top ten in the two previous studies for consistent availability of on-site HIV testing, free condoms, anonymous advice capabilities and student peer groups. This combined with the success of 'Ask Alice' helped propel them to the number one spot in our study."
Columbia is joined by two other Ivy League schools in the top ten: Brown University (No. 5) and Princeton University (No. 8). But with big moves in the Big Ten, the Ivy's three year reign as the most sexually healthy conference came to an end in 2010. Top sexually healthy Big Ten schools include Michigan State University (No. 2), Ohio State University (No. 3), University of Michigan (No. 4), University of Iowa (No. 6), and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (No. 10), helping the Big Ten take the number one conference ranking.
Meanwhile, Midwest schools took a more passive role in sexual health this year with Chicago State University (No. 137), Marshall University (No. 138), DePaul University (No. 139), Brigham Young University (No. 140) and the University of Idaho (No. 141) rounding out the bottom five.
Top Five Sexually Healthy Schools |
Bottom Five Schools in Sexual Health |
|
1. Columbia University |
137. Chicago State University |
|
2. Michigan State University |
138. Marshall University |
|
3. Ohio State University |
139. DePaul University |
|
4. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
140. Brigham Young University |
|
5. Brown University |
141. University of Idaho |
|
"The Trojan Sexual Health Report Card is designed to get people talking about sexual health on campus. We want to inspire action, get people to realize that sexual health on campus is critical and that there are things everyone can do to help improve their sexual health," said Bruce Tetreault, group product manager, Trojan® condoms. "In addition to this year's findings, we're developing a sexual health roadmap students can download off our website and use to help improve sexual health on campus."
Students who would like to inform researchers of the positive changes they are making on campus can email Trojan at [email protected].
Report Card Rivalries
The Trojan Sexual Health Report Card adds a new context to some of the more heated collegiate rivalries:
- Big Ten football rivals Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan won't just duke-it-out on the field this fall. They competed for sexual health dominance, too, finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively in this year's report card.
- Duke took home two trophies this year as NCAA Men's Basketball champions and the Report Card's ACC champions for the second consecutive year, ranking 29th overall and beating in-state rival UNC-Chapel Hill (No. 36) by seven spots.
- Harvard and Princeton, the top two universities in the recently released US News & World Report college rankings both made huge jumps in their sexual health rankings. Harvard climbed forty-six spots from 62nd to 16th, and Princeton, one of three Ivy League schools to crack the top-10, rose fifty-three spots from the 61st all the way to the 8th spot (1).
Conference Upsets
The Big Ten, with a Sexual Health GPA of 3.10 (out of a possible 4.0), claimed the conference title for the first time in Report Card history, with five schools (Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota) ranking in the top-ten. The Ivy League slipped to number two, with a Sexual Health GPA of 2.77, after winning three conferences titles in a row. Ivy Leaguers are still strong with three schools in the top-ten, including top ranked Columbia.
The Ivies were followed by the Pac-10 (2.62), MAC (2.53), SEC (2.43), ACC (2.40), Big 12 (2.36), Big East (2.19), Sun Belt (2.14), Mountain West (2.10), C-USA (2.09), Independents (2.05) and the WAC (1.99).
Moving Up
Some schools gave it the "ole' college try" this year and greatly improved their rankings. The Most Improved Players are: Middle Tennessee State University jumping 64 spots from 116 to 52, Purdue University moving 58 spots, the University of Pittsburgh moving 54 spots, Princeton University moving 53 spots, and Harvard University jumping 46 spots.
Sexy States
Colder rather than warmer weather may have spurred co-eds to sexual health this year with Michigan taking the title from Florida as the state with the most sexually healthy universities. Michigan has three schools in the top fifteen, Michigan State University (No. 2), University of Michigan (No. 4) and Western Michigan University (No. 11). New Jersey also made a huge jump with two universities in the top ten, Princeton University (No. 8) and Rutgers University (No. 9), both moving up over 40 spots. Down south, Alabama scrapes the bottom with both the University of Alabama (No. 135) and Auburn University (No. 136) in the bottom ten.
Methodology
To develop this year's rankings, researchers at Sperling's BestPlaces analyzed data from campus health centers and student opinion polls across 12 separate categories. Based on this analysis, each category was assigned a letter grade and a cumulative GPA was calculated, based on a four point scale.
Sexual Health Report Card Categories:
- Health center hours of operation
- Availability of patient drop-in vs. appointment only
- Availability of separate sexual awareness program
- Contraceptive availability and cost
- Condom availability and cost
- HIV testing, cost and locality (on- vs. off-campus)
- Other STI testing, cost and locality (on- vs. off-campus)
- Availability of anonymous advice via email / newspaper column
- Existence of lecture / outreach programs
- Existence of student peer groups
- Availability of sexual assault programs
- Website usability and functionality
"Schools that did well in this year's report card tended to score uniformly high across all categories, while those ranked towards the bottom were less consistent in category grades," said Sperling.
Trojan on Campus
As the best new product launch in brand history, Trojan Ecstasy™ is helping promote condom usage and improve sexual health among college age youth. Trojan Ecstasy™ is one of the latest innovations on campus from the makers of Trojan brand condoms. Trojan Ecstasy™ features a patented groundbreaking design with extra room at the tip and a tapered fit at the bottom, which allows users to feel the pleasure and not the condom. The condom is enhanced with UltraSmooth™ lubricant inside and out so it feels like nothing is there. Trojan Ecstasy™ comes in four varieties (Ultra Ribbed, MAGNUM®, Her Pleasure ™ and Fire & Ice™) and is sold at drug and retail locations nationwide.
For more information on Trojan Ecstasy and the report card findings, visit www.trojancondoms.com, the Trojan Facebook page (facebook.com/trojancondoms) or the Trojan Twitter feed (@TrojanConnects). Full Trojan Sexual Health Report Card results are available at the bottom of this release.
Trojan Teams with Rock the Vote to Uncover Key Issues and Raise Awareness
Building on the Trojan Sexual Health Report Card, and a continued commitment to sexual health on college campuses, Rock the Vote and Church & Dwight, makers of Trojan condoms, have partnered to expand the conversation around sex by engaging young adults to voice their concern during the upcoming mid-term elections.
Recent polling data released by Rock the Vote found that nearly three-quarters of young Americans believe teaching young people about safe sex and birth control would be a better way to reduce teen pregnancy. The survey also cites 69 percent of young Americans support making condoms available in high schools (2).
"Through our partnership with Church & Dwight, makers of Trojan condoms, we're helping to ensure that the issues that matter most to young people -- whether it's jobs, the national debt or sexual health -- are all part of the mid-term election conversation this November," said Heather Smith, President, Rock the Vote.
ABOUT TROJAN® BRAND CONDOMS
TROJAN® Brand Condoms are America's #1 condom and have been trusted for more than 90 years. TROJAN® Brand Latex Condoms are made from premium quality latex to help reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Every condom is electronically tested to help ensure reliability. There are over 29 varieties of TROJAN® Brand Condoms. More Americans trust the TROJAN® brand than any other condom. For more information visit www.trojancondoms.com.
ABOUT SPERLING'S BESTPLACES
Bert Sperling has been helping people find their own "Best Place" to live, work and retire for more than 20 years. His firm, Sperling's BestPlaces, puts facts in the hands of the public so they can make better decisions about best places to live, work, retire, play, or relocate. His bestselling books, Cities Ranked and Rated and Best Places to Raise Your Family, are published by John Wiley & Sons. More information about Bert and his work is available at www.bestplaces.net.
ABOUT ROCK THE VOTE
Rock the Vote engages young people in our democracy and builds their political power by registering, educating and turning them out to vote, by forcing the candidates to campaign to them, and by making politicians pay attention to youth and the issues they care about once in office. We use music, popular culture, new technologies and old fashioned grassroots organizing to engage and mobilize young people to participate in every election, and provide the information and tools they need to do so. And we amplify the actions of those young people who step up to claim their voice in the process in order to create political and social change. For more information on Rock the Vote, please visit www.rockthevote.com.
Contact: |
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Eli Sevin |
Bjorn Trowery |
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Edelman |
Edelman |
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212-642-7794 |
212-704-4556 |
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Complete Trojan Sexual Health Report Card Rankings |
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Schools – by 2010 ranking |
||||
2010 GPA |
2010 rank |
2009 rank |
School |
|
3.70 |
1 |
4 |
Columbia University in the City of New York |
|
3.61 |
2 |
7 |
Michigan State University |
|
3.58 |
3 |
23 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus |
|
3.55 |
4 |
13 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
|
3.50 |
5 |
9 |
Brown University |
|
3.49 |
6 |
31 |
University of Iowa |
|
3.44 |
7 |
22 |
University of Oregon |
|
3.41 |
8 |
61 |
Princeton University |
|
3.38 |
9 |
52 |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick |
|
3.37 |
10 |
58 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities |
|
3.28 |
11 |
27 |
Western Michigan University |
|
3.22 |
12 |
8 |
Cornell University-Endowed Colleges |
|
3.17 |
13 |
15 |
Yale University |
|
3.11 |
14 |
18 |
Pennsylvania State University-Main |
|
3.08 |
15 |
20 |
West Virginia University |
|
3.05 |
16 |
62 |
Harvard University |
|
3.03 |
17 |
24 |
University of Florida |
|
3.00 |
18 |
5 |
Florida Atlantic University-Boca Raton |
|
2.98 |
19 |
77 |
Purdue University-Main Campus |
|
2.94 |
20 |
29 |
University of Louisiana At Monroe |
|
2.91 |
21 |
75 |
University of Pittsburgh-Main Campus |
|
2.90 |
22 |
11 |
The University of Texas- Austin |
|
2.89 |
23 |
3 |
University of Connecticut |
|
2.86 |
24 |
67 |
Rice University |
|
2.83 |
25 |
56 |
University of Kansas Main Campus |
|
2.83 |
26 |
26 |
Louisiana State University |
|
2.82 |
27 |
86 |
San Jose State University |
|
2.82 |
28 |
47 |
Kansas State University |
|
2.81 |
29 |
10 |
Duke University |
|
2.78 |
30 |
1 |
University of South Carolina-Columbia |
|
2.78 |
31 |
30 |
Ball State University |
|
2.78 |
32 |
43 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison |
|
2.78 |
33 |
16 |
Oregon State University |
|
2.78 |
34 |
70 |
University of Arizona |
|
2.75 |
35 |
73 |
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis |
|
2.75 |
36 |
35 |
University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill |
|
2.74 |
37 |
2 |
Stanford University |
|
2.72 |
38 |
45 |
University of Pennsylvania |
|
2.72 |
39 |
49 |
Indiana University-Bloomington |
|
2.72 |
40 |
85 |
University at Buffalo |
|
2.72 |
41 |
71 |
Virginia Tech |
|
2.70 |
42 |
28 |
University of Virginia-Main Campus |
|
2.69 |
43 |
46 |
Washington State University |
|
2.67 |
44 |
32 |
Mississippi State University |
|
2.67 |
45 |
89 |
Central Michigan University |
|
2.67 |
46 |
92 |
Kent State University-Main Campus |
|
2.67 |
47 |
6 |
University of Georgia |
|
2.67 |
48 |
40 |
The University of Alabama |
|
2.67 |
49 |
36 |
Florida International University |
|
2.61 |
50 |
91 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus |
|
2.61 |
51 |
37 |
University of Southern California |
|
2.61 |
52 |
116 |
Middle Tennessee State University |
|
2.56 |
53 |
76 |
Syracuse University |
|
2.56 |
54 |
41 |
University of California-Berkeley |
|
2.56 |
55 |
12 |
University of Maryland-College Park |
|
2.56 |
56 |
68 |
University of Miami |
|
2.50 |
57 |
38 |
University of Kentucky |
|
2.50 |
58 |
48 |
University of Missouri-Columbia |
|
2.50 |
59 |
42 |
Northern Illinois University |
|
2.50 |
60 |
78 |
University of Southern Mississippi |
|
2.50 |
61 |
59 |
Miami University-Oxford |
|
2.50 |
62 |
98 |
Boise State University |
|
2.50 |
63 |
88 |
Northwestern University |
|
2.50 |
64 |
39 |
Colorado State University |
|
2.44 |
65 |
14 |
University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign |
|
2.44 |
66 |
112 |
Vanderbilt University |
|
2.44 |
67 |
79 |
Florida State University |
|
2.44 |
68 |
55 |
Western Kentucky University |
|
2.44 |
69 |
87 |
Georgia Tech |
|
2.44 |
70 |
81 |
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus |
|
2.44 |
71 |
17 |
North Carolina State University At Raleigh |
|
2.44 |
72 |
57 |
University of New Mexico-Main Campus |
|
2.44 |
73 |
63 |
Ohio University-Main Campus |
|
2.39 |
74 |
54 |
University of Denver |
|
2.39 |
75 |
21 |
University of Colorado At Boulder |
|
2.39 |
76 |
125 |
Villanova University |
|
2.39 |
77 |
80 |
University of North Texas |
|
2.39 |
78 |
96 |
University of Nebraska At Lincoln |
|
2.39 |
79 |
34 |
East Carolina University |
|
2.39 |
80 |
19 |
Dartmouth College |
|
2.39 |
81 |
74 |
Eastern Michigan University |
|
2.33 |
82 |
69 |
University of Louisville |
|
2.33 |
83 |
64 |
University of Nevada-Reno |
|
2.33 |
84 |
53 |
Tulane University of Louisiana |
|
2.33 |
85 |
61 |
California State University-Fresno |
|
2.33 |
86 |
94 |
The University of Texas-Pan American |
|
2.33 |
87 |
50 |
University of South Florida |
|
2.33 |
88 |
104 |
University of Arkansas At Little Rock |
|
2.28 |
89 |
113 |
Arizona State University |
|
2.28 |
90 |
123 |
University of Toledo |
|
2.28 |
91 |
99 |
University of Tulsa |
|
2.22 |
92 |
118 |
University of California-Los Angeles |
|
2.22 |
93 |
83 |
University of Wyoming |
|
2.22 |
94 |
25 |
University of Central Florida |
|
2.22 |
95 |
65 |
University of Mississippi Main Campus |
|
2.17 |
96 |
102 |
U.S. Air Force Academy |
|
2.17 |
97 |
109 |
New Mexico State University-Main Campus |
|
2.11 |
98 |
97 |
University of Nevada-Las Vegas |
|
2.11 |
99 |
101 |
University of Arkansas Main Campus |
|
2.11 |
100 |
103 |
Iowa State University |
|
2.11 |
101 |
95 |
University of Houston-University Park |
|
2.06 |
102 |
33 |
San Diego State University |
|
2.06 |
103 |
51 |
Bowling Green State University |
|
2.06 |
104 |
107 |
University of Utah |
|
2.06 |
105 |
93 |
University of Akron Main Campus |
|
2.00 |
106 |
82 |
Southern Methodist University |
|
2.00 |
107 |
129 |
Marquette University |
|
2.00 |
108 |
108 |
University of Hawaii At Manoa |
|
2.00 |
109 |
126 |
Boston College |
|
1.94 |
110 |
44 |
Texas A&M University |
|
1.94 |
111 |
105 |
University of South Alabama |
|
1.94 |
112 |
106 |
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus |
|
1.94 |
113 |
117 |
Utah Valley State College |
|
1.94 |
114 |
72 |
Wake Forest University |
|
1.94 |
115 |
84 |
University of Memphis |
|
1.89 |
116 |
115 |
The University of Texas At El Paso |
|
1.89 |
117 |
100 |
The University of Tennessee |
|
1.89 |
118 |
122 |
Savannah State University |
|
1.83 |
119 |
111 |
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus |
|
1.78 |
120 |
121 |
Georgetown University |
|
1.72 |
121 |
114 |
Texas Christian University |
|
1.72 |
122 |
90 |
Texas Tech University |
|
1.72 |
123 |
138 |
Baylor University |
|
1.61 |
124 |
133 |
Seton Hall University |
|
1.61 |
125 |
110 |
Utah State University |
|
1.61 |
126 |
139 |
Providence College |
|
1.56 |
127 |
124 |
University of New Orleans |
|
1.56 |
128 |
136 |
Arkansas State University-Main Campus |
|
1.50 |
129 |
140 |
St. John's University-New York |
|
1.50 |
130 |
132 |
Troy State University-Main Campus |
|
1.44 |
131 |
66 |
Clemson University |
|
1.44 |
132 |
130 |
University of Notre Dame |
|
1.44 |
133 |
134 |
Louisiana Tech University |
|
1.39 |
134 |
135 |
University of Louisiana At Lafayette |
|
1.33 |
135 |
120 |
The University of Alabama at Birmingham |
|
1.33 |
136 |
119 |
Auburn University Main Campus |
|
1.33 |
137 |
127 |
Chicago State University |
|
1.28 |
138 |
131 |
Marshall University |
|
1.22 |
139 |
141 |
DePaul University |
|
1.22 |
140 |
137 |
Brigham Young University |
|
1.17 |
141 |
128 |
University of Idaho |
|
(1) "Best Colleges 2011." U.S. News and World Report. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
(2) "Rock the Vote National Youth Survey" September 15th, 2010, Rock the Vote.
SOURCE TROJAN
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