According to the Center for Disease Control, the average age of sexual activity for individuals in the United States is 17 years old. During their intermediate years of 17 to mid-20s, individuals are at a higher risk for unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections. The purpose of this research is to investigate how sexual health indicators within the perceived conservative community of Southern Utah University compares to national statistics. We distributed a sexual and general health survey for the SUU campus that addresses substance use, sexual health practices, health care experience in Cedar City, and other questions that compare to national health surveys. We will present our findings on how at-risk behaviors vs. conservative practices impact sexual and general health within this community. We will also discuss possible ramifications of these results and our recommendations to the university community based on our results.
