Much of what the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors talks about doesn't interest teens and young adults. This subject should: Our county is experiencing a frightening rise in cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia, and most of those getting these sexually transmitted diseases are from ages 15 to 34. Public Health Director John Walker calls it a crisis, and he isn't prone to exaggerations.

The number of cases is relatively small, about 2,800 total. But health officials worry because that's a 75 percent increase from 2002. Putting it simply, infected people are having sex with multiple partners, who are passing along the disease as well.

The county plans to increase clinic hours at the public health department because many people are embarrassed to take such a problem to their regular doctors. An investigator will work to track down the sexual partners of those with the disease. Public education is critical to this effort.

Officials suspect one reason for the increase is that people are not practicing safe sex because AIDS is no longer as feared as it was. The use of drugs, especially marijuana and methamphetamine, is a factor in the rise.

For information about the diseases, go to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/disease_info.htm.