I was sporting twin bandages on my upper arms last Friday. One was from a Hepatitis B vaccine, the other from an HPV vaccine, I told people pitifully when they asked. I’m a huge wimp when it comes to shots, and despite Vaden’s unusually nice nurse, I almost passed out in the lobby (I managed to sit down and recover, which was good, because passing out in the midst of Vaden Health Center means leaving yourself unconscious during Vaden medical care).

But if I expected sympathy from my listeners (I expect sympathy from a paper cut), I was rewarded with an awkward silence. Most people didn’t want to say anything, but eventually someone asked, half kidding, if I planned on having a lot of sex, then.

Ah.

See, it hadn’t occurred to me beforehand that there was anything potentially embarrassing about the HPV vaccine, or that it might be interpreted as a sign of promiscuity, of all things. We’re talking about a vaccine that’s being recommended for girls as young as nine, which is an age group that hasn’t fully moved past Barbie yet. The fact that a link between the HPV vaccine and promiscuity would even occur to someone reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about just how disturbingly prevalent the virus is.

So, ladies (and gentlemen), let’s talk a little bit about the Human Papilloma Virus.

According to the CDC, about 20 million people in the United States currently have HPV, and 80 percent — 80 percent — of women will have had a genital HPV infection by the time they reach the age of 50. Genital HPV (there are roughly 100 strains of HPV, of which 40 are genital) can cause such delightful symptoms as genital warts, but there are often no symptoms whatsoever. So, the virus can easily be spread by people who have no idea they are even carrying it, including partners in a long-term, monogamous relationship who could have been carrying the virus for years. Condoms are somewhat effective in preventing HPV, but, in Planned Parenthood’s ominous words, “Most people who have ever had sex have HPV at some point in their lives.”

Delightful. But if there are often no symptoms, what’s the big deal?

Well, for one thing, there is a strong link between HPV infections and certain types of cancer, cervical in particular. While most HPV infections go away without any ill effects, according to the CDC, the infection sometimes leads to cell changes that develop into cancerous growths.

In fact, HPV is linked to almost all cervical cancers, and 70 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by two specific strains of the virus (American Cancer Society). Cervical cancer itself causes about 190,000 deaths each year worldwide, and is the second leading cause of cancer death for women, second only to breast cancer (Women’s Cancer Research Institute).

Luckily, we have some powerful weapons in our arsenal: the mighty Pap smear, and the new HPV vaccine.

First, the Pap smear. Yes, it’s awkward and uncomfortable. But us ladies are lucky to have it — for one thing, guys are also susceptible to cancers linked to HPV (penile and anal, for example), but they have no equivalent of the Pap smear. For another, cervical cancer was once the leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S., but the early detection offered by Pap smears has drastically reduced those numbers (ACS). Even after the HPV vaccination, regular pap smears are an important way to guard against the other strains of the virus that aren’t covered by the vaccine.

Now, as for the HPV vaccine — this is amazing stuff, guys. It was approved last June by the FDA, in practically record time. It protects against the two HPV strains that cause 70 percent of cases of cervical cancer, and the two strains of HPV that cause 90 percent of genital warts.

The HPV vaccine is a good idea for all women, but in particular, women who aren’t having sex will get the most benefit from it. The vaccine works best (obviously) if you get it before you’re exposed to the virus, which is why the CDC has recommended that all 11 to 12 year old girls be vaccinated. And the more people who get it, the more difficult it is for the virus to spread.

The American Cancer Society cited a recent study which found that more than half of college-age women (our age, just to be especially emphatic) will be infected with HPV within four years of first having had sex.

So while I understand that STI’s are awkward to talk about, there’s no reason to be embarrassed about taking care of oneself.

If you’re thinking of having sex anytime soon (or anytime at all, really), you should be considering this vaccine very seriously, and very soon.

Most of the information in this column came from cdc.gov, plannedparenthood.org and cancer.org. Sini will return to her regularly programmed sarcasm next week, but in the meantime, you can contact her at Sinim@stanford.edu.