About 50 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with HPV at some point in their life, according to the United States Center for Disease Control.

“Many people can have the disease without any symptoms,” said Carol Sibley, coordinator of preventive medicine at NIU Health Services.

Genital HPV (human papillomavirus) is one of the most common forms of HPV. Warts appear on both men and women if they contract the virus, though they may not appear right away.

Women may take a pap test and, if it comes back abnormal, HPV can be the reason why. Testing for men is currently in the preliminary stages and has not been approved by the Centers for Disease Control.

Although there is no cure, students can purchase a vaccine at NIU Health Services. Female students who are 26 years old or younger can purchase it for $130 per dose, in a three dose series.

The fee can be charged to the student’s Bursar’s account.

“The vaccine is intended to prevent women from getting four of the strains of the virus,” Sibley said. “They are trying to get young girls between 9 and 11 years old to take the vaccine.”

The vaccine will not work to cure or treat existing infections, although it can prevent other strains if someone is only infected with one.

Two of the strains, which the vaccine can prevent, can cause cervical cancer.

The other two cause warts, Sibley said. By taking the vaccine, a person can

reduce the risk of becoming infected by HPV between 70 and 90 percent, she said.

NIU has given out about 100 doses since they became available to students last spring, Sibley said.

In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, 19.7 percent of incoming freshman women tested between 1990 and 1997 at Washington State University tested positive for at least one strain of HPV. 594 women participated in the study.

“Our priority is to get the patient in and treated right away,” Sibley said. “If you want an evaluation, call Health Services and make an appointment.”

HPV is not life-threatening, but can cause genital discomfort for people who have a suppressed immune system, Sibley said.

“The virus can be contained if you have a good immune system,” she said.

NIU Health Services accepts walk-in appointments between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.