News

International award for University of Melbourne sex education website

Media Release, Tuesday 8 May 2007

A University of Melbourne website has won a major international award, outscoring entries by major corporations from all over the world.

www.yoursexhealth.org was judged ‘Best in Class’ in the 2007 Interactive Media Awards for the education category. This is the highest honour bestowed by the New York-based Interactive Media Council.

The sex education/ reproductive health website aimed at adolescents was commissioned by Professor Doreen Rosenthal AO, Director of the Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society.

The award’s judges include representatives of leading media organisations, such as the New York Times, Time Warner, Inc., Microsoft Corporation and the Producers Guild of America.

All entries are rated out of 100 on the same five criteria: design, content, feature functionality, usability and standards compliance.

www.yoursexhealth.org was rated 485 points out of a possible 500 overall, including 99 out of 100 for design and 98 for content.

It outscored big budget websites for leading organisations in other entry categories, including Qantas Travel Booking and Servicing, the US Tennis Open, Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Geographic Maps website.

Although www.yoursexhealth.org was not marketed overseas, it is attracting thousands of visitors from around the world since it was launched on January 19.

Professor Rosenthal says she is thrilled by the award, which was announced on Friday, and hopes that it will raise awareness of www.yoursexhealth.org.

“Our goal from the start was to ensure our website would reach international audiences and this award confirms that www.yoursexhealth.org does have universal appeal.”

Professor Rosenthal says www.yoursexhealth.org covers 120 topics, ranging from physiology to first dates, and has a unique feature called ‘True Stories’. These professionally produced photo essays, linked to audio, play out the real-life dilemmas that teenagers face every day – and every night.

The winning website team headed by Professor Rosenthal was:
Penny Harris (Creative Director); Kay Ansell and Brian Diamond (writers); Lara Cameron (designer/Flash programmer); Patrick Fitzgerald (HTML programmer).

For more about the awards visit:
www.interactivemediaawards.com

More background about Professor Rosenthal is at:
www.kcwh.unimelb.edu.au/aboutus/staff/doreen_rosenthal