among teens, Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness revealed yesterday.

And, as a result of this, he has asked health officials to step up their visits to schools and other health promotion activities to reach adolescents and teens.

Two diseases of particular concern to health officials are Non-Specific Urethritis or NSU and Chlamydia.

"These are showing no pattern of reduction in teenagers,'' Mr. Edness said in a press statement.

Both diseases, if left untreated, can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) -- a severe infection which often results in infertility.

Last year, 376 cases of Chlamydia and 143 cases of NSU were reported.

Under 19-year-olds accounted for 33 percent or 127 cases of Chlamydia and 16 percent or 23 cases of NSU.

A total of 111 females and 16 males under 19 were diagnosed with Chlamydia and 10 females and 13 males of the same age group were found to have NSU.

Both diseases are caused by bacteria that invade certain healthy cells and multiply in the body.

The infection can be passed through sexual activity.

Young people with more than one sexual partner are particularly at risk.

But one of the risks associated with Chlamydia is that about 70 percent of women and 10 percent of men infected have no symptoms.

The disease is more likely to show symptoms in a man than in a woman.

Both Chlamydia and NSU can be treated with antibiotics.

And in most cases the infection can be eliminated in a week, but this is only possible if both sexual partners receive treatment.

Mr. Edness said staff at the Health Department had been involved in a preventive programme that included health talks designed for adolescents and teenagers.

The discussion outlines the risks associated with STDs and the preventive measures that should be taken.

These, he stressed, included "first and foremost'' abstinence, reducing the risk of infection if they are already sexually active and changing sexual behaviour and lifestyle.

Anyone interested in obtaining further information about the Health Department talks or in arranging a talk is invited to call the chief nursing officer at the Hamilton Health Centre on 236-0224.