Human papillomavirus – HPV.

It exists in more than 100 different forms.

Some cause genital warts. A few can lead to cervical cancer. And most may exhibit no harmful symptoms at all.

But if you’re a college student, chances are good that you have it.

The disease is spread mostly through genital contact, and according to Dr. Charlotte Sweeney, gynecologist at Student Health, 60 percent of college-aged people have been infected.

Last week however, representatives from the Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of a new vaccine that would prevent infection from the four types of HPV. Two of the types, six and 11, account for about 90 percent of the cases of genital warts. But the more incredible implications of the new vaccine, dubbed Gardasil, come with the prevention of the other two types, types 16 and 18.

These two forms of HPV cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases – and it’s this condition that makes HPV so dangerous to women’s health.

Prior to the 1940s and 50s, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among women, according to Sweeney.

Then came the Pap smear.

Pioneered by Greek doctor George Papanicolaou, the test simply examines cells collected from a woman’s cervix for abnormalities. Sweeney said the American College of OB/Gyn recommends patients get tested within three years of the onset of sexual activity or if they are 21 years of age. She said the test should be conducted annually.

It is so effective in detecting abnormal cells that can possibly lead to cancer, Dr. Kavita Nanda, a medical scientist and practitioner at Family Health International, said it has turned cervical cancer into a preventable disease.

“In most cases you can catch it before it gets to cancer,” she said. “If it’s caught early it’s very treatable.”

Although the test has led to a decrease in the disease’s status as the leading cancer killer, Sweeney said it retains the ranking in developing countries, where Pap tests are often unavailable.

There are no HPV tests available for men, according to the Center for Disease Control.

But not all forms of HPV develop into something lethal, which is one of the main reasons why the new vaccine has such specific targets.

“As physicians, we’re not worried as much about HPV infection – some people clear it on their own,” Nanda said. “What we worry about is what it causes.”

In fact, Nanda said, some women’s own immune systems can even fight off the more aggressive forms the vaccine is designed to protect against.

As Sweeney points out however, this immune response can vary from person to person.

“Younger women are more likely to clear manifestations of it,” she said. “The older you are, the more compromised your immune system becomes.”

Gardasil is a recombinant vaccine, which means it contains no live virus. According to Sweeney, it triggers a defense response in the immune system that matches the recombinant DNA protein for protein. In this way, the vaccine helps the immune system pack more punch when fighting off these strains of the virus.

“What the vaccine does is increase the antibodies to 100 times higher than the body can make on its own,” Nanda said.

According to Nanda, the vaccine is close to 100 percent effective and although its purpose is to prevent specific cancer-causing strains of HPV, it can almost be considered a “cancer vaccine.”

“This is a major advancement for women’s health,” she said. “This is the first time cancer can actually be prevented. There’s nothing like it.”

But as Sweeney pointed out, the vaccine is not an end-all-cure-all.

Gardasil will not protect patients from strains of HPV if they are already infected with them, meaning it may be more effective for younger girls who have not yet become sexually active. According to the FDA, the vaccine is approved for use in females 9 to 26 years of age.

“If you vaccinate before the disease is introduced, it means patients have a good chance of lowering their problems with the disease,” Sweeney said. “You have to look at the populations most at risk.”

But Sweeney said she does have a much larger concern – that the vaccine will lure some women into believing they no longer need a Pap smear. Getting regular Pap smears remain critical even with the vaccine she said, especially since Gardasil does not protect against every manifestation of the virus that may cause cervical cancer.

“We love magic pills – we want one solution for every problem,” Sweeney said. “This isn’t it. It’s not the smallpox vaccine.”