Douglas County is recording startling rates of sexually transmitted diseases among young people. The rates here run higher than the national averages and the numbers continue to climb.

Nationally, in 2002, 300 out of every 100,000 people age 15-to-24 were infected with Chlamydia and 125 were infected with gonorrhea.

In Douglas County the numbers were dramatically higher with 492 Chlamydia cases and 242 gonorrhea cases per 100,000.

As the numbers continue to rise, health officials are working to stop the trend.

Talk to young people like those on the UNO campus about the high STD rates in Douglas County and you'll get reactions like Laura Howard's.

She tells us, "It surprises me a lot that it's way up there."

Teenagers, 15 to 19-years-old, represent 36 percent of the Chlamydia cases in Douglas County.

UNO student Mike Wang was troubled to see the numbers include 15-year-old children.

"To think that kids that aren't even out of junior high are already getting STDs?"

Sexuality educator Debbie Sheehan says, "It's not a surprise at all."

Sheehan doesn't know why the numbers are high but while the STD rate in Douglas County is rising she says teen pregnancies are down.

She says that might mean that more young people are choosing oral sex over intercourse without realizing they're still putting themselves at risk of contracting diseases.

That's just one of a number of misunderstandings about STDs.

Ms. Sheehan says, "The myth is this is only happening in certain parts of town or socioeconomic groups. That's not right. It's happening to all kinds of kids and all kinds of people."

Douglas County numbers showing Chlamydia rates back that up.

A map breaking out the county by zip code shows Chlamydia rates well above the national average from one end of the county to the other.

The key to turning the trend, Sheehan says, is getting more parents to talk with their children about sex and not just once or twice.

She says, "Over and over in a way where kids have a chance to have somebody they can trust to give them answers to their questions."

In response to the high STD numbers, the Douglas County Health Department has opened a second testing clinic and is offering to pay for tests for those who can't afford to pay for them.

The department has also hired two additional health educators who focus on talking to young people about sex-related issues.

For additional information, visit the Douglas County Health Department's Web site.