Sexual Health University League

Sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase in the UK.  The number of diagnoses for two of the most common STDs – chlamydia and gonorrhoea – has doubled since 2003 and it’s young people who are the most likely to catch these diseases. People aged between 15 and 24 are four times more likely to catch chlamydia and twice more likely to catch gonorrhoea than older people.

In 2013, the government cut funding for sexual health clinics, which could mean that fewer young people will get themselves tested and treated.

Many of the young people most at risk of contracting an STD are students. Young people living away from home the first time, such as university students, might not really know where to get themselves checked out or how to get treatment. For this reason most universities offer advice on sexual health issues and some even have their own clinics.

Superdrug Online Doctor has published a report assessing different universities on the sexual health services they offer to students. Online Doctor then awarded each university either a 1^st, 2:1, 2:2, 3^rd or no degree at all.

The Sexual Health Report Card  2014 compared 50 universities looking at areas such as:

• the quality of sexual health information found on campus
• access to contraceptives for students
• sexual health clinic opening hours
• clinic drop-in availability

After the universities answered a set of questions, each section of questions were graded A – F and these scores are used to decide the final mark of each university (1st, 2:1, 2:2 etc.).

Out of these 50 universities, Bristol University scored an A in most sections apart from the sections Access to Contraceptives, Sexual Assault Service and Sexual Health Information on their website. This gave Bristol University a 1^st but they weren’t the only university to achieve the highest grade possible; Nottingham, Dundee, Leeds, Cambridge, Loughborough and St Georges University of London were all awarded a 1^st too.

There were 13 universities that were graded a 3^rd or below which should look to improve in key areas of their service and service delivery to young people, particularly if they want to compete favourably with universities that performed strongly in this year’s report.

Tags: sexual health

Category: Health