Not only is the University ranked No. 1 in its civil engineering, library and information science, and biological and agricultural engineering, it’s got another ranking all of its own — we are also on top of the sexual health rankings. And what a pleasure it is for us to have ranked as such.

Two weeks ago, Trojan Condoms released its seventh annual Sexual Health Report Card for 2012, which ranks the overall sexual health and availability of sexual health resources of 141 universities across the country. Trojan uses data compiled by Sperling’s BestPlaces, a website that ranks locations for people to live, retire, go to school or work, using data generated from several different government sources or think tanks.

The methodology for the rank includes evaluations of the student health centers on campus, regarding their hours of operation, condom and contraceptive availability,  education, HIV and STI testing, and website usability. Using that, the University has ranked somewhere in the top 20 or 30 percent of schools surveyed, except 2010 when we were sandwiched in the middle of the pack.

The University has been dedicated to promoting sexual health for students, through the Oasis in the basement of the Illini Union and the resources available at McKinley Health Center, which include speedy testing and free condoms to those who want them.

The most relieving part of this study for us is that it shows a willingness for the University to acknowledge that sex is a part of the college experience. Without the proper resources, students will experiment, but with them, they will experiment safely.

Especially at a school where alcohol and partying are so prevalent, safe sexual practices and good health are essential. In the first months on campus, ACE IT and FYCARE introduce students to the sexual culture they will inevitably find in their first semester — a responsible move, given the alternative is to simply ignore it altogether.

Even if administrators or those at McKinley don’t agree with or condone students’ sexual activity, it’s bold of them to still support awareness, health and education.

While we are pleased that the University’s efforts have been recognized, we are cautious in accepting the title. For one, we are not quite sure if what we have for sexual health resources and education is the  best it could be, albeit it is, as the report showed, the best of those surveyed. Creating a more prevalent culture of safe sexual practices could still be improved, although the availability of condoms and contraceptives are above what we would expect.

But quite frankly, given our experience at this school, we’re not sure we truly deserve the title: The ranking, despite our No. 2 spot in 2011, is still a bit surprising. At first glance, a university like ours may seem to blatantly disregard sexual health, but a closer look would seem to reveal that students do care. While there’s no way to quantify that perception, experience serves the observation well.

We can only hope that we continue to hold onto the top position and realize that we can continue to better what the University and its students already do.