State health department says STD rates on the rise

South Dakota may see record levels of chlamydia and gonorrhea cases by the end of this year, the state’s public broadcasting network reports.

According to Lon Kightlinger, a state health department epidemiologist, rates of nearly all sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are rising in South Dakota. More than 2,500 cases of chlamydia have been reported so far in 2010, a figure that is set to break the state record.

Syphilis also appears to be spreading faster than in previous years, he added.

The increased rate of infections is due largely to risky behavior, Kightlinger told the media outlet. He listed unprotected sex among youth and anonymous sexual encounters initiated on the Internet as two prime movers of the STD surge.

Protected sex, abstinence and sexual health screenings are all viable public health tools, he concluded. Those worried that they have contracted a sexually transmitted infection may consider looking into online testing services.

More than 700,000 Americans are diagnosed with gonorrhea and over 1.2 million with chlamydia each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.