The shots are not covered by Student Services Fees, but most other insurance companies are paying for it, said Dave Golden, Boynton public health and marketing director.

First-year theater student Chelsey Smith said she thinks Boynton should cover at least half of the cost for the vaccine because it could quickly spread among students.

Boynton Medical Director Marilyn Joseph said there are 100 types of the virus, but it's the "high-risk strains" that cause genital warts and cervical cancer, Joseph said.

According to a Boynton Health Service survey of 6,000 students in 2004, 2.9 percent of University students aged 18 to 24 have genital warts. About 4.4 percent of the entire population of students reported the symptom.

Most women find out about the diagnosis when they have an abnormal Pap smear. If the problem becomes serious, the virus can cause future problems with childbirth.

The shot is currently not available for men, Joseph said. It's a lot harder to test men for the virus, but in the future the vaccine will most likely be offered to them.

If the shot becomes available to men, pre-medical students Peter Burkill and Paul Warner said they would think about getting it, but the cost of the shot would still be an issue.

Warner said that because he's not promiscuous, he plans on always getting himself and his partner tested ahead of time to prevent the spread of infections.

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