NIU students seeking a discount for the HPV vaccine will have to wait.

Health Services currently offers the vaccine in three shots for $130 per shot, said Carole Balli, benefits services supervisor for student insurance.

HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a virus that is spread by sexual contact and can be contracted by both genders. In 2005, about 20 million Americans contracted genital HPV and more than six million cases of genital HPV are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, according to statistics provided by NIU Health Services.

If gone untreated, HPV can lead to cervical cancer, according to literature provided by Health Services.

Cherie Tymkiw, a graduate painting major, said she was considering being tested before discovering that NIU offers no discount for the vaccine.

The retail price of the vaccine is $120 per shot, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention Web site.

Currently, the vaccine is not covered through NIU’s student health insurance, Balli said. Nevertheless, Balli thinks the student insurance plan provides good coverage.

“It’s a very good plan and it covers a lot,” she said.

Still, Balli said she would like to see NIU’s coverage expand.

“I’d like to get more comprehensive benefits,” she said.

Balli said the NIU student insurance plan does not currently cover prescriptions or immunizations.

Changing NIU’s student insurance policy would take at least a year, and the cost of the vaccine can vary between different clinics, she said.

Although the vaccine provided at NIU is for slightly higher than the retail price, Balli thinks it’s worthwhile.

“It’s worth every penny,” Balli said. “Personally, I think it’s a good idea.”