Investigating Disparities by Sex and LGBTQ Identity: A Content Analysis of Sexual Health Information on College Student Health Center Websites

Abstract

Student Health Centers (SHCs) are important resources on U.S. college campuses. In light of recent calls for creating more opportunities for health care services to young men and sexual/gender minorities, this content analytic study evaluated how sexual health information and resources are communicated on SHC websites. Utilizing a stratified random sample of 400 U.S. colleges/universities, we assessed how often sexual health is explicitly labeled for particular groups, the types of sexual health topics on SHC websites, the depth of sexual health information, and the sexual health resources offered on SHC websites. Our findings revealed that women’s health webpages far outnumbered men’s health webpages, sexual health topics were more common on women’s health webpages, and sexual health topics were covered at greater depth on women’s health webpages compared to men’s health webpages. Similar disparities were found for sexual/gender minorities. General sexual health webpages on SHC websites addressed significantly more sexual health topics in greater depth and offered more sexual health resources than LGBTQ health webpages. The practical implications for college student health and potential health disparities are discussed.

Notes

¹ Gender identity (which is whether one identifies as a man or a woman) is different from sexual identity (which is whether one is sexually attracted to men or women), but that distinction is often obscured by the linking of trans persons with the sexual orientation labels of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (the “T” in LGBT, Levitt & Ippolito, 2013). We refer to differences by sexual and gender identity, and we use the most commonly used acronym (LGBTQ).

² “Being sexually health means understanding that sexuality is a natural part of life and involves more than sexual behavior, recognizing and respecting the sexual rights we all share, having access to sexual health information, education, and care, making an effort to prevent unintended pregnancies and STDs and seek care and treatment when needed, being able to experience sexual pleasure, satisfaction, and intimacy when desired, and being able to communicate about sexual health with others including sexual partners and healthcare providers” (ASHA, n.d., para 3). To be considered a sexual health mention, the content would have to satisfy at least one of these criteria.