One-third of Americans will have an STD by age 24, according to Planned Parenthood, and two-thirds of all STDs occur in people age 25 or younger, the American Social Health Organization (ASHO) says on its Web site. ASHO, a non-governmental group that works frequently with the CDC and provides information about STDs, said that herpes and genital warts are the most common STDs found in people in their late teens and the early 20s.

At Syracuse University (SU), the number of students with STDs is unknown because SU's Health Services does not keep formal statistics. In addition, many students choose to go to off-campus clinics for privacy or are not tested at all, making tabulation difficult, said Kathleen VanVechten, director of nursing for Health Services.

The most common STDs on campus are human papillomavirus, herpes and chlamydia. When students come to the Health Services, VanVechten reminds them that they will have complete confidentiality in STD testing. Also, students may be billed directly for STD testing without charges ever showing up on their bursar accounts. HIV blood testing is free but it may not be accurate until at least three months after the time of exposure.

Health services staff members try to send "a broader message than to just use condoms," says Nurse Practitioner Anne Hogan. "It's nicest to know your sexual partner . . . once you've had a discussion, there are ways to safely have an intimate relationship."

Some students may leave the health center with disheartening news. Epstein, however, said that students who have been diagnosed with an STD should not feel isolated. "If you tell three friends, I bet one of them has been through this," she said.

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