January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month and although students may be busy, it is crucial that they take care of their sexual health and understand the truth of sexually transmitted diseases.

The most common STD in the U.S. is genital human papillomavirus (HPV) according to Dr. Jan Froelich of Primed Physicians. Unlike many other STDs, there are often no symptoms of HPV and most people who have the virus don't even know it.

"HPV is a family of viruses that can cause all sorts of warts and some cancers," Dr. Mary Buchwalder from the Health Center said. "The types that tend to cause warts are different than the types that cause cancer. HPV types six and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts, types 16 and 18 cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer."

Common misconceptions about HPV leave people confused and uninformed about the realities of the virus. Junior Andrea Graham was unaware of and surprised by the severity of this disease.

"I've started getting the Gardasil shots but I didn't have too much time to research HPV or the vaccine because it was offered to me while I was at the doctor's office," she said. "I'm shocked about the STD testing though. I don't think too many people know that HPV isn't normally tested for and that's probably contributing to the spread of it."

Gardasil, an HPV vaccine, helps prevent four types of HPV that are linked to genital warts and cervical cancer. In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimated that there were 11,270 new cases of cervical cancer and 4,070 deaths.

"People sometimes call Gardasil the cancer vaccine," Froelich said. "It doesn't cure cancer; it only works against the infection. However, if you can stop the infection you may be able to stop the cervical cancer."

STDs do not discriminate and all sexually active people are at risk when not careful. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people ages 15 to 24 account for two thirds of all newly reported STDs and 19 million new cases are reported each year.

Those who are sexually active can decrease their risks of getting an STD by using a condom, limiting their number of sexual partners and getting tested.

"Abstinence and condoms protect against STDs," Wendy Martin, STD Nursing Coordinator for the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic at Public Health of Dayton and Montgomery County, said. "But to test for the types of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer, women should get a pap smear. We offer pap smears based on the patient's ability to pay, but we never turn anyone away."

Failure to get tested can result in serious health risks such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and infections, she said.

The Health Center offers STD testing, HIV testing, pap smears, pregnancy testing and Gardasil injections. For more sexual health information, call the Health Center at (937) 229-3131.