Health Promotion

Learn About Health Topics & Actions

  • What is Health Promotion?

    Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions.

    At the University of Denver, the Department of Health Promotion envisions a future where every member of the DU community will have the opportunity to learn, connect, and thrive in a supportive campus community.

    Health Promotion works to achieve this vision by cultivating a thriving DU community through education, engagement, and sociocultural change. Additionally, Health Promotion strives to embody the University's values of Excellence, Innovation, Engagement, Integrity, and Inclusiveness.

  • What types of prevention education does Health Promotion provide?

    Alcohol and Other Drugs Prevention and Education

    Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is a top health and safety concern on college campuses. The four focus areas for prevention and education are alcohol, cannabis, prescription drug misuse, and e-cigarettes.

    Mental Health Promotion

    Mental health is an umbrella term that encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). We focus on suicide prevention, stress management, and mindfulness initiatives

    Sexual Health Promotion

    Sexual health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality. It 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.

    Gender Violence Prevention and Education

    GVPE provides the community with active bystander education, community awareness, and prevention outreach on topics including sexual assault, dating and relationship abuse, sexual harassment, and stalking.

  • What else does Health Promotion offer?

    Along with robust programing around topic areas, the Department of Health Promotion focuses on early intervention and prevention through various outreach requests, individual appointments, group collaborations, and a vibrant peer education program.

  • Is the Health Promotion team a Confidential Resource?

    No, the Health Promotion team and staff are not Confidential Resources. Those on the Health Promotion team (including those who work in Gender-Violence Prevention Education) are classified as "responsible employees," which means they cannot serve as confidential supports.

  • How do I request a Health Promotion workshop, outreach, or participation at my event?

    Health Promotion offers a variety of workshops on mental health, suicide prevention, gender-based violence, sexual health, and alcohol and other drugs. We are happy to come provide outreach for your event, club, class, or team meeting!  Please fill out our outreach request form and a representative will get back to you to confirm availability.  We ask for a minimum of two weeks’ notice for outreach requests.

  • What can I do to prevent suicide on campus?

    Health Promotion offers a variety of trainings and programs to help all community members learn how they can have a role in preventing suicide. You can learn how to speak about suicide and other mental health concerns, how to actively listen and provide support to a person in distress, how to ask someone if they are thinking about suicide, and how to help intervene in an emergency and make a referral to on and off campus resources. Please fill out the outreach request form to request the Campus Connect Suicide Prevention Workshop (90 minutes).

  • How is Gender-Violence Prevention Education (GVPE) different from the Center for Advocacy, Prevention, and Empowerment (CAPE)?

    GVPE is a concentration area of Health Promotion that focuses on the prevention of gender-based violence through educational programming such as: 

    • awareness campaigns, 
    • workshops, 
    • community events, 
    • resource tabling, 
    • social media outreach, 
    • etc. 

    CAPE is a center within the HCC that provides direct advocacy and support for survivors of gender-based violence (i.e. sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment). CAPE is a confidential community resource whereas those on the Health Promotion team (including those who work in GVPE) are classified as "responsible employees" and cannot serve as confidential supports.

  • What kind of sexual health resources does Health Promotion provide?

    Health Promotion provides:

    • Safer sex supplies (external condoms, internal condoms, dental dams, lubricant, etc.)
    • Free, monthly STI testing clinics
    • Referrals to DU-based resources and community-based resources
    • Sexual health education in the form of digital resources, customizable workshops, community events, resource tabling, etc.
  • How can I access Health Promotion's free STI testing clinics?

    Each quarter, Health Promotion partners with Vivent Health to host 2-3 free STI testing clinics on campus. The best way to access an STI testing clinic is to:

    Follow Health Promotion on Instagram (@thriveatdu) to stay updated on events.

    Use the weblink or QR code found in our event posts to register on Crimson Connect.

    Don't have social media? Stay tuned to Crimson Connect for event posts, or email Health Promotion (hcc.thrive@du.edu) to request clinic updates