Contrary to long standing rumors that label the University as an STD-ridden campus, Trojan brand condoms has ranked it as one of the most sexually healthy and evolved schools in the country, according to the 2007 Trojan Sexual Health Report Card.
In fact, the University has cracked the top 10, coming in at fourth, just behind the University of Washington, University of Wyoming and University of Minnesota, which ranked No. 1.
This is due to the comprehensive sexual health services offered at Rutgers' health centers as well as the medical services and education available to students, said Francesca Maresca, coordinator of Health Promotion.
In last year's Trojan report card, Rutgers ranked 13th.
The research was conducted by independent research firm Sperling's Bestplaces and gathered over two months.
There were 139 American colleges and universities graded in 11 major categories measuring sexual health and the services provided by school health centers.
The categories include the school's health center hours of operation, drop-ins vs. appointments services, separate sexual awareness programs, contraceptives offered, HIV/STD testing, anonymous advice services, lecture outreach programs, student peer groups, sexual assault programs and sexual health Web site.
Administrators at the health centers were contacted and questioned in addition to the health center's Web site being evaluated based on how well it provided information about available services, said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's Bestplaces.
"Out of 139 schools, ranking number four is excellent. All of the schools in the top 10 did an excellent job of providing services to the students and having a very complete presentation of information that's available," Sperling said.
Students were polled through the Facebook based on their opinion of their school's health centers in regards to sexual health and sexual awareness, Sperling said.
Over 3,300 students responded to the poll but because only 31 Rutgers students participated, that information was not factored in, he said.
Rutgers received a GPA of 3.68 and an A in every category except the separate sexual awareness program, student peer groups and Web site, which received a B.
The University's health center pharmacies have always offered safer sex products, but it was last year that they began increasing the amount and type of products carried, Maresca said.
The most commonly used methods of contraception among student health center visitors are condoms, followed by the pill, she said. The pharmacy boasts 22 varieties of condoms, which are selected based on student preferences.
"By offering education, clinical services and access to safer sex products, we hope that we are empowering students to make healthier choices," Maresca said.
There are approximately 40,000 clinical visits per year by students to Rutgers New Brunswick health centers Hurtado, Busch-Livingston and Willets.
The top four reasons students visit include: upper respiratory infections, sexual health concerns (contraception, gynecological exams, sexually transmitted infection questions/testing), injury and stress, Maresca said.
Confidential STI testing and treatment is available at the health centers as well as HIV testing and counseling.
In order to combat rumors circulating about the student community's sexual health, Health Services created a fact sheet in an effort to dispel false accusations.
Myths have circulated that the University has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections/diseases in the country, Rutgers has its own form of STD and that over one-half of the women at the University are infected, according to Rutgers University Health Services "RU and Sexually Transmitted Infections" fact sheet.
The number of students who have tested positive for sexually transmitted infections are well within normal ranges for a school of the University's size and demographic, Maresca said.
"[The rumors] are not true and I think it's really sad that that's what people hear about us as opposed to what a great academic institution [Rutgers is]," Maresca said. "We have intelligent, involved students, a wonderful faculty, staff and administration and instead people choose to focus on a rumor about sexual health."
The actual prevalence rate of STIs among Rutgers students is unknown, Maresca said. There are only estimates based on the students who have come to Health Services.
The most commonly diagnosed STIs are HPV and chlamydia. It is estimated that 20 percent of students engaging in sexual activity may be infected with herpes and 23 to 35 percent infected with HPV, most of which can clear up on its own, according to the fact sheet.
In 1992, a non-random sample of students representing 3 percent of the University's female population participated in a human papilloma virus study that took place over three years.
Out of the participants 26 percent were already infected with HPV, 43 percent were infected over the next three years and the study concluded that 60 percent of the participants were infected at some point in three years, according to the fact sheet. Then the rumors began in 1998 when clinical findings from the original research were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection on college campuses across America, as well as herpes and chlamydia. There are over 100 different strains of HPV and most carriers are not even aware they have contracted it, Maresca said.
HPV is especially concerning because certain high-risk strains of the virus can lead to genital warts or cervical cancer.
Rutgers clinicians contributed to the development of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer in females caused by certain types of HPV, Maresca said. The vaccine, which costs over $500, is offered by Rutgers Health Services. Students are encouraged to contact their insurance carriers to find out if the cost can be covered.
"Our goal is to provide quality, accessible health care to our students," Maresca said. "We are constantly looking at ways to improve the services that we offer. We are always examining ways to better reach students to encourage them to engage in safer behavior."
"We care for our whole student body, mind and spirit. Wellness isn't just about the absence of disease."
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