California health officials are concerned about a recent spike in the number of cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.
In 2015, there were 249,224 reportable cases of STDs in California. That is an 11.6 percent increase compared to 2014.
Dr. Heidi Bauer, chief of California's STD Control Branch, says this is the second year in a row where the agency has seen an increase in all three STDs.
"There are various factors that may contribute to the increase in the number of STDs in California, including, changes in sexual behavior, barriers to getting STD testing and treatment, and improved public health reporting," she says.
Bauer says young people 15 to 24 years old are most at-risk, especially young women and gay/bisexual men.
She says to reduce the risk of contracting STDs people should use condoms, limit the number of sexual partners and get tested regularly.
The California Department of Public Health is issuing $5 million in grants to local health departments to expand STD prevention, testing and treatment programs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says STDs nationwide are at an all-time high.
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