A study conducted by Trojan Condoms, called the “Sexual Health Report Card,” shows ULM plummeted in the rankings, falling from 20th in 2010 to 108th in 2011.
The rankings plunge was the greatest of any of the 141 schools listed on the report.
Bert Sperling, president of Sperling’s Best Places Independence Research Firm, conducted the surveys and ranked the universities based on the amount of sexual health information universities provide for its students.
Sperling said, “We use a team of researchers that are recent college graduates, so they can put themselves in students’ shoes.”
Sperling said while conducting the study, his researchers call the health center, mail a questionnaire to the health center and check the resources available on the website.
“When we see a drop like ULM’s, it sends up a red flag and we give them another look,” Sperling said.
But health center officials said they never received a phone call or questionnaire from Trojan.
“I don’t know who they talked to at the University, but it wasn’t me,” said Yolanda Camper, director of the student health center.
Sperling could not provide a specific name of who his researchers spoke with at ULM. He said it is possible their calls were ignored by receptionists who may have thought they were telemarketers.
Camper said the ratings drop surprised her. She said the health center offers all of the programs it did last year, and they even added two more.
The health center offers all forms of birth control, does free HIV testing, works with student organizations like the Gay-Straight Alliance to pass out sexual health information and does health presentations in dorms.
The website, however, does not provide much information on sexual health, a key component in Sperling’s research.
Camper said, “Our goal is to include [sexual health information] this year on the site. That is certainly something we can add.”
Columbia University in New York received the number one ranking. LSU received the highest ranking of any Louisiana school, coming in at number 29.
DePaul ranked lowest on the rankings at 141. Louisiana Tech ranked 131, the lowest of any school in Louisiana.
Cebus • Mar 7, 2013 at 10:22 pm
I agree with Sex Toys.
Derrick • Mar 6, 2013 at 8:02 am
This article is 2 years old and where is the proof? I suppose I will do your job for you.
The reason we scored so low is because either A. the receptionist didnt take the call and they didnt have any information, or B. they spoke to one person and based their score from that.
The health center, to my knowledge, does not do the following
contraceptives
condoms (openly available)
website usability/functionality (student health website does not confer professionalism in its design)
Evenmore, its obvious that this was a marketing ploy by Trojan to make itself more available. They are banking on the fact that A. You will post this article and B. Students will purchase trojan condoms(any maybe the health center if they are lucky). Is this the kind of journalistic integrity we can expect from the hawkeye? You all were duped. I promise ULM wasn’t the only school to drop. Ever school not in the top 20 got a letter and did the same thing you guys did. Come on you have to be better than this.
Sex Toys • Jan 4, 2012 at 2:29 am
Sexual health should be taken more seriously.