USC tops in sexual health

USC survey of students shows confidence in campus health center.

Students and parents alike have reason to take heart from the University of South Carolina's No. 1 ranking in students' sexual health.

Those who compile the annual rankings note that a variety of factors go into the decision, including student opinions of the school's health center, that center's hours of operation, the availability and cost of contraceptives, doctor's appointments and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. USC students apparently give their health center high marks.

That should be reassuring to parents who might wonder whether their children have a reliable place to go on campus to be treated or get information about sexual matters. And students also must feel secure enough to know that they will get confidential care.

USC officials take pains to point out that while they are proud the survey indicates they are doing a good job promoting sexual health, that isn't the same thing as promoting sex.

“Just because you educate about sexual health doesn't mean you're promoting sex,” said Ryan Wilson, sexual-health program coordinator at USC.

That's an important distinction. USC emphasizes the need to provide students with the information they need to make educated decisions about their sexual behavior. Yet, campus surveys show that 73 percent of students reported only one or no sexual encounters during the previous year.

In other words, supplying students with contraceptives and information about how to use them does not appear to encourage rampant sexual activity. The same, no doubt, holds true for younger students as well.