Although sexually transmitted diseases are usually preventable by practicing safe sex or abstinence, concerns have raised among Campus Health officials about treating Human Papillomavirus, one of the most common and untreated STDs nationwide.
"HPV is probably the No. 1 STD on campus. It is a main risk factor for cervical cancer in women and can cause genital warts in men as well," said Faye Libbey, a nurse practitioner in the Women's Health Clinic.
According to the National HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention Resource Center, about 80 percent of people who are sexually active will contract the virus in their lifetime.
A form of genital warts, and similar to genital herpes, HPV does not require sexual intercourse to contract the virus, Libbey said.
"HPV can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and through oral sex. A lot of those infected received it through oral sex," said Libbey.
In addition to being easily transmittable, HPV often goes undetected by those infected, said Alberta Hopkins, Campus Health nurse.
"Many people have it and don't even know it," Hopkins said. "It is a very common virus. If your partner or you has had intercourse with more than one person, you can expect to contract HPV."
HPV is a cause of cervical cancer and can take up to about three years to show up on an exam, but cervical cancer doesn't always occur, Libbey said.
"The majority will clear the virus on their own, and 10 percent will need treatment," Hopkins said.
However, recent improvements in the medical field have made treatment for STDs easier. In addition, tests were conducted on college-aged men at the College of Medicine, which promise to yield outstanding results, Libbey said.
Libbey said male volunteers donated urine samples, among other tests, that would help trace early signs of HPV, while helping physicians understand how the disease reacts differently in men and women.
"The recent test conducted for men is wonderful," Libbey said. "The tests will have great affects and will increase our knowledge of HPV."
Libbey said for the most part, men do not experience any symptoms of HPV because the disease becomes noticeable in the female's cervix, which can only be monitored through a Pap smear.
However, this does not mean HPV does not affect men. In addition to silently passing on the disease, men can also experience genital warts.
When asked about the affects of the disease, Libbey said HPV is treatable, but not curable, yet the effects are not always permanent.
"For the most part HPV is not a permanent STD. However, once the tubes (in females) are damaged, it is irreversible," Libbey said.
Ashley Henn, a pre-business freshman said she was unaware of how rampant the disease is.
"Ew," Henn said. "I knew chylamida was common, but I didn't know about HPV."
Paul Tomeo, a mechanical engineering freshman, said he was not even sure what the disease was.
"I don't really know anything about HPV. I didn't know it was that popular on campus," Tomeo said.
Libbey said in addition to getting informed about STDs, using a condom and getting a gynecological checkup and pap smear annually can make a world of difference when preventing and treating HPV.
"Girls should come in once a year, minimum, for a checkup," Torneo said.
When students contract an STD and begin treatment, they sometimes feel alone, but there are resources that can help.
"We try to do counseling when we talk to our patients," Libbey said. "But we (do get) squeezed for time."
Libbey also said counseling services such as CAPS are available on campus to help with students' more serious psychological problems.
Libbey said one thing to remember is that sexually transmitted diseases should be taken seriously.
"Casual sex is dangerous, and condom use is important but does not always work," she said.