Ball State is the most sexually healthy school in Indiana, and the university is rated the 16th healthiest against other universities in the nation, according to the annual Trojan Health Report Card.
More than 140 major campuses are rated by Trojan Brand Condoms each year based on 13 factors, some of which are student opinion of the Health Center, hours of operation, appointment scheduling, sexual health awareness programs, contraceptive and condom availability, HIV and STI testing, anonymous advice available for students, lecture and outreach programs, student peer groups, sexual assault programs and website usability.
Julie Sturek, instructor of health science, said she thinks sexual health outreach programs are what set Ball State's Health Center ahead of other campuses.
"We have peer health educators who are going out and doing the health promotion and the sexual health and responsibility programming," she said. "We do many, many programs all year long and go into the dorms, go into the student organizations, but we also put on awareness events that are campus wide such as World AIDs Day in December [and] Sexual Responsibility Week in February."
Ball State jumped in rank from 31st last year to 16th this year. Sturek said she isn't sure what specifically landed Ball State at a higher spot this year.
Purdue University went from being ranked 19th last year to being ranked 64th this year. Indiana University in Bloomington was ranked at 63rd.
The Health Center offers many services to help maintain students' sexual wellness. Tammy Combs, a medical assistant at the Women's Center, said the Women's Center offers contraceptives, pap smears, Plan B and breast health information on campus. The Health Center also offers free condoms and dental dams for students.
Students can receive HIV and STI testing through the Health Center as well, and they only have to pay for the lab fees, Sturek said.
"We always recommend that anytime they have a new sexual partner or at least once a year if they are sexually active to have testing done," Combs said. "There's a lot of STDs that go without being detected, and unless they are being tested, they don't know they have it."
Kent Bullis, medical director, said he thinks some of the factors that make Ball State's Health Center stand out are STD testing, hours the Health Center is open and the methods of contraception they offer.
"Pregnancies interfere with the educational progress, and one of the main reasons we're here is so students get their education," he said.
Mecca Williams, freshman telecommunications major, said she appreciates that universities reach out to their students about sexual health.
"I think it's a good thing that they offer that because in my high school, they would never have something like that because they didn't want to encourage people to use them," she said, "but I like how Ball State has them because they know people will use them, and they have to give people information about how to have safe sex."
Raven Webb-Leal, freshman undecided major, said she thinks the rating may come as a surprise to some because of Ball State's reputation.
"Going into college people have horror stories about different universities," she said. "I heard rumors before coming to Ball State, but I didn't really believe it. It makes me feel better though, knowing the university is healthy."
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