Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality… Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected, and fulfilled. (World Health Organization)

Campus Resources for Sexual Health

Health Services offers many services to help you maintain your sexual health, including family planning, female annual exams, STI Screening and Treatment, and free condoms, male condoms, and dental dams.

Counseling Services works with students on such issues as healthy relationships, assertive communication skills, consent, and exploring sexuality and gender identity.

Lactation rooms are open on campus for your convenience.

NOTE: During the 90th General Assembly Regular Session of 2015, House Bill 1534 was passed becoming Act 943 which requires the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop an action plan to address the prevention of unplanned pregnancy. Providing pregnancy prevention resources to the campus on this site is part of UA Little Rock’s efforts in this regard.

Pregnancy Prevention

Planning whether and when to get pregnant will help prevent stopping out of college and making it harder to get your degree. There are many methods of contraception available to both women and men, and many of them are available in our Health Services clinic on campus. Considerations for choosing the right method include safety, effectiveness, affordability, and accessibility.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are passed from one person to another through sexual contact, whether it be vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Learn about preventing STIs, and what to do if you think you’ve been infected.

STI Screening and Prevention

STIs are transmitted through vaginal, oral, and/or anal contact. Some STIs are transmitted through fluids such as vaginal secretions and semen, while others are transmitted with skin-to-skin contact.

In order to reduce the risk of STI transmission, it is recommended that condoms and/or dental dams be used every time, with every partner. The only way to completely prevent the transmission of STIs is abstinence.

New Partner? Get Tested!

If you are beginning a new relationship or are thinking about entering a new relationship soon, this is the perfect time to get tested for STIs. Knowing your STI status, and getting treatment if necessary, will help you start a new sexual relationship with confidence. Ask your partner to get tested as well.

Exchanging test results and discussing them with your partner may feel awkward at first, but it’s a powerful step in taking charge of your sexual health. It’s a step any responsible new partner will appreciate. If a new partner refuses to get tested or refuses to share their test results with you, that is a relationship red flag you should pay attention to.

It’s impossible to know for sure whether or not your partner is engaging in risky sexual behavior with others, especially if it is a new relationship. Even if both you and your partner are STI-free, it is recommended that you use condoms and/or dental dams. For your own safety, and for pregnancy prevention, you should insist on using protection at least until you are in a committed, stable, long-term and monogamous relationship, and you have other options in place for pregnancy prevention if that applies to you.

Multiple Partners or Frequent New Partners?

If you have multiple sexual partners or ‘hook up’ with new partners frequently, it’s especially important to use condoms and/or dental dams every time you have sex. Additionally, since accidents happen and condoms and dental dams are not 100% effective, it’s a good idea to get tested for STIs on a regular basis, for example, every two to three months.

Are you a person who can become pregnant? Do you have sex with men? If so, it’s a good idea to use a backup form of pregnancy prevention in addition to condoms. When used correctly, condoms help prevent STIs, but they are not the most reliable method of pregnancy prevention. Health Services can help you choose a birth control option that is right for you.

Treating STIs

There are a variety of treatments available for STIs. Some infections are bacterial, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, and can be cured with antibiotics. Other infections are viral, such as herpes and HIV, and while there are no cures available, there are medications to reduce the severity of symptoms.

STI or STD? What’s the Difference?

Diseases that are spread through sexual contact are usually referred to as sexually transmitted diseases or STDs for short. In recent years, however, many experts in this area of public health have suggested replacing STD with a new term—sexually transmitted infection, or STI.

Why the change? The concept of “disease,” as in STD, suggests a clear medical problem, usually some obvious signs or symptoms. But several of the most common STDs have no signs or symptoms in the majority of persons infected. Or they have mild signs and symptoms that can be easily overlooked. So the sexually transmitted virus or bacteria can be described as creating “infection,” which may or may not result in “disease.” This is true of chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and human papillomavirus (HPV), to name a few.

Sexual consent means agreeing to take part in any kind of sexual activity. Having sex can and should be a positive and pleasurable experience when it’s based on mutual respect and both partners have agreed to it. Sexual consent applies every time you have sex and to any type of sexual activity at any stage – not just penetrative vaginal or anal sex. Talking about what you do or don’t want to do means you’ll both be able to share what you feel comfortable with and want from sex, which will make the whole experience more enjoyable. (from Avert)

Thinking About Consent Like You Think About Tea:

Thinking About Sexual Assault as a Bear Attack video by CollegeHumor:

Sex Needs a New Metaphor Ted Talk: