A news release from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services revealed that cases of sexually transmitted diseases have shown a marked increase in Montana in recent months.

Flathead County has missed the worst of it, but still has cases at a consistent number.

Flathead Public Health Officer Joe Russell said he has always seen a number of chlamydia cases in the Flathead, but that the number has remained fairly static.

“There is a lot of chlamydia in the valley,” he said. “But a significant rise? I would say no.”

According to the state health department, Montana saw a doubling of gonorrhea cases to more than 400 and an increase in chlamydia to more than 4,100 cases.

As of March 2015, the 12-month running total in the Flathead was 349 chlamydia cases and four gonorrhea cases. This comes despite a supposed bump in the last month.

“We had a bunch of gonorrhea cases in the last few weeks, but they were caused by lab errors,” Russell said. “We actually haven’t had any.”

There have been two HIV cases in Flathead County in the last 12 months, one diagnosed in March.

“Whether those cases originate here or come here from somewhere else is something we don’t know,” Russell said.

The release from the state health office stated that more than half of Montana’s sexually transmitted disease cases occurred in people 25 and younger. The numbers are the same for the nation, with half the 20 million annual sexually transmitted disease cases occurring in young people.

Common complications from untreated sexually transmitted diseases can include infertility. Conditions such as herpes or gonorrhea can also increase the risk of getting a disease such as HIV.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are both treatable, but can be a painful and embarrassing experience.

The obvious way to avoid most sexually transmitted diseases is to avoid sexual intercourse, but for sexually active people, using latex condoms every time, limiting the number of sexual partners, getting the HPV vaccine and being tested for STDs can all limit exposure.