The Office Of Health Promotion Offers Sexual Health Education Opportunities

In the spring semester, three students partnered with Ohio University's Office of Health Promotion to create a student internship program that will renew and rebuild the department's work on sexual health.

The Office of Health Promotion focuses on improving, promoting and supporting student safety through prevention initiatives to reduce harm to students.

Taylor Bauer, assistant director of clean health, education and empowerment, said students are working with the office to create projects that advance the sexual health interests of UO students.

"We've been working together on some of the feedback we'd like to get from students regarding their sexual health needs," Bauer said. "What are some events and programs we would like to organize as a group to empower our students and start a conversation about our sexual health needs as a group?"

Early on, students connect with community members to initiate conversations about sexual health. Community partners include Planned Parenthood, Iquitas Health and Lion's Den. Intern students create a voice to solicit input from other students to guide what events and programs they would like to see on campus.

The students created three different programs, including discussions based on sexual health needs and sexual health resources. At the event, Planned Parenthood, Equitas Health and other organizations spoke with students and shared resources.

Ann Brandon, associate director of prevention and education, says it's important to continue talking to students about sexual health as more students come to campus.

"Attitudes, beliefs and behavior (students) are generally formed before they enter college," Brandon said. "But college is the first time they've had a freely or openly defined identity about their sexual experiences."

Brandon says sexual health is not fully covered in Ohio's high school curriculum, and when it is, it's often a fear-based discussion that drives abstinence. It's not uncommon to talk about the other side of sexual health, which is part of one's overall well-being, she said.

"(Sexual health) is an ongoing conversation. It's a very layered and unique conversation. It can't be a one-size-fits-all conversation because it's often so diverse," Brandon said. "It's really important that we get it right, that we identify the differences and that we're resourceful, but that we always have a safe and sound message."

Molly Wells is a school nurse and teaches a variety of sexual health courses at a school in Athens; Help create a modern sexual health curriculum that meets the needs of all students in the district.

"I've started an effort to update the sex education curriculum and I'm working with community members, ob-gyns, social workers, counselors and other educators to shape the curriculum we use," Wells said. "We don't just use packaged approaches."

The Welsh student who took sex classes after college came back and told her that no other student had taken sex classes in high school.

"There's a lot of misinformation and misinformation because people don't get real information in high school," Wells said. "I think any kind of college-level sex education goes a long way."

Arming yourself with sexual health information is an important life skill, Wells says. It is not about telling the students what to believe or what to do, but preparing them with information so that they can make safe decisions for themselves, he said.

Brandon and Bauer look forward to partnering with the Health Extension Office and sharing their services and resources with many students. The department plans to continue providing internship opportunities to interested students in the future.

"We're always open and interested in more people coming and joining us if they like the work and want to meet," Bauer says.

mk060919@ohio.edu

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Adolescent health and the importance of sex education