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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — State health officials report a spike in the number of sexually transmitted diseases.
KSKA reports (http://is.gd/nf9sOz) gonorrhea and syphilis cases are up 50 percent between 2012 and 2013.
As of the end of May, there were 23 new cases of HIV reported. There were 24 new cases of HIV in all of 2012.
On top of that, health officials say Alaska led the nation in the number of chlamydia infections last year.
Susan Jones with the state's Section of Epidemiology says they don't know why there's more gonorrhea and chlamydia cases. It could be because those infected are getting detected earlier.
People who test positive for syphilis and HIV are asked about risk factors. She says some increases are due to people meeting sexual partners online or through phone apps.
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Information from: KSKA-FM, http://www.kska.org
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