The birds and the bees have their place at UF.
UF ranked No.12 on a list of the top 25 schools with the best safe-sex programs in a study released by The Daily Beast last week.
UF ranked No. 8 in 2011.
Sperling’s Best Places and Trojan Brand Condoms started the list seven years ago and compiled the information through surveys given to 200 college student-health centers and administrators, according to The Daily Beast.
Sex education programs are evaluated on the convenience, quality and scope of each service, according to the site.
Student Health Care Center spokeswoman Catherine A. Seemann said she doesn’t know why UF would drop in the rankings, but it could be due to the study’s lack of knowledge on the college’s seasonal programs.
“Sex in the Swamp” is a whole week of sex education before Spring Break put on by national professional health education honor society Eta Sigma Gamma, which allows students to interact with one another on sex topics.
The SHCC also expanded its sexual health services, Seemann said.
The center now offers free STD testing for students on campus with the help of the Alachua County Health Department.
The tests are limited in availability and only offered on weekday afternoons, she said.
The center also offers a variety of outreach programs.
“The outreach programs are the key to getting students accurate sex education on campus,” said Samantha Evans, a sexual health educator with GatorWell Health Promotion Services.
Evans said the Health Hut and the “Sex, Lies and Chocolate” presentation are just two of the programs that appeal to a diverse group of students.
The Health Hut travels around campus, so students can get sex health and other health information on their way to and from class.
She said the presentation helps to dispel many sex myths and gets students educated on the consequences of sexual activity.
GatorWell also provides condoms, dental dams and lubricant to students at its location inside the Counseling & Wellness Center, she said.
Safe-sex education has also reached the residence halls, said Sydney Richardson, a 19-year-old digital arts and sciences sophomore.
“There were many free condoms and even free women’s condoms in my dorm’s common room,” Richardson said. “It was kind of weird.”
She said UF’s ranking on the list isn’t of the utmost importance.
“Whether we dropped or not, we’re still on the list,” Richardson said.
