HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and young adults have the highest rates of new infection – which makes it the STI college students are most likely to have without knowing it. The CDC estimates that more than 42 million Americans are infected with the types of HPV that cause disease and that about 13 million people, many of them in their late teens and early twenties, are newly infected each year. Those are national figures, not campus surveys, but the pattern is consistent: the years most people spend in college are the years HPV spreads fastest.
HPV spreads through skin-to-skin genital contact, not just penetrative sex. Condoms lower the risk but do not remove it, because they do not cover all the skin involved. Most people who have HPV never develop symptoms and never know they have it, which is exactly why it spreads so easily.
There are more than 100 types of HPV. Most infections clear on their own within one to two years without causing any health problem. Certain high-risk types, if they persist, can lead to cervical, anal, throat or penile cancers years later; low-risk types can cause genital warts. Screening exists to catch the cervical changes early, and vaccination exists to prevent the infection in the first place.
What screening does, and what it does not
If you have a cervix, the CDC recommends a Pap test every three years from age 21, and from age 30 either a Pap test every three years, an HPV test every five years, or both together every five years. Two things people often get wrong: a Pap test looks for changes in cervical cells, not for HPV itself, and neither test tells you whether you have HPV anywhere else. There is no recommended HPV screening test for people without a cervix. And HPV is not on any blood or urine STD panel – including ours – because there is no blood or urine test for it. If you have a cervix and have not had screening, a campus health center or gynecologist is the place to start; ask about your own history, because prior abnormal results change the schedule.
Vaccination is the part you control
The CDC recommends the HPV vaccine for everyone through age 26, and shared decision-making with a clinician for adults aged 27 to 45. It works even if you are already sexually active, because it protects against the types you have not yet met. For people without a cervix, vaccination is the main protection available, since there is no screening test. Catch-up doses are available at most campus health centers and pharmacies.
Chlamydia: the one you can test for today
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STI in the United States, and people aged 15 to 24 account for a large share of reported cases. It usually has no symptoms, which is why the CDC recommends yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women under 25 and for men at higher risk – a new partner, more than one partner, or a partner who has tested positive. It is cured with antibiotics. Testing is a urine sample at a lab near campus, with no clinic visit and nothing billed to a parent’s insurance; our chlamydia testing page explains how.
The most useful thing to take from this: do not wait for symptoms to decide whether to test, because the common STIs in this age group rarely produce any. Yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening if you are a woman under 25, a test after any new partner, HIV testing at least once, and the HPV vaccine if you are eligible, give you real information and real peace of mind. If you are not sure what applies to you, call (866) 872-1888 and a care advisor will tell you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common STD in college students?
HPV (human papillomavirus) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and young adults have the highest rates of new infection. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STI in this age group.
Can you have HPV and not know it?
Yes. Most people with HPV have no symptoms and no visible signs, and most infections clear on their own. For people with a cervix, Pap and HPV tests screen for the cervical changes high-risk types can cause; there is no general HPV test for anyone else.
Does the HPV vaccine work if you are already sexually active?
Yes. The vaccine protects against the types you have not yet been exposed to. The CDC recommends it through age 26 for everyone, and a conversation with a clinician about it up to age 45.
How often should college students get tested for STDs?
The CDC recommends yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women under 25, and for men at higher risk; an HIV test at least once for everyone 13 to 64; and testing after any new partner or exposure. More frequent testing makes sense with new or multiple partners.
Is STD testing confidential if you are on your parents’ insurance?
Testing through insurance can generate an explanation of benefits that the policyholder may see. Paying privately means no insurance claim is made, so nothing goes to the policyholder.
Sources
- About HPV – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Screening for Cervical Cancer – CDC
- HPV Vaccination – CDC
- Screening Recommendations – CDC Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021
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