HELENA, Mont. — Public health officials in Lewis and Clark County report a sharp rise in chlamydia cases that reached the threshold for an outbreak.
Officials reported 53 cases compared with 22 at the same point last year, a 71% increase. They also said nearly half of the reported cases involved teenagers.
Health officials urged parents and guardians to talk with teens about sex, social media, testing and treatment.
Shelly Maag of the Lewis and Clark County Public Health Department said parents need to stay involved and keep those conversations going.
"Have open conversations with your kids. Don’t just assume it’s not my child. Just ask them important questions, be part of their life and be open for them to share this because that’s what it’s going to really take for some of these adolescents to know where to go, how to get tested and just feel like they can talk about it," said Maag.
Maag, a public health nurse supervisor, explained that chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. She also said people may not have symptoms and untreated infections can lead to serious reproductive health complications.