The Oklahoma Department of Health says the latest STD numbers are “alarming,” but there may be some good news in the statistics.

The uptick may be about more people getting tested to receive treatment, some officials suggest.

Nationally, STD cases increased by more than 200,000 from the previous year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. About 45 percent of chlamydia cases were among 15- to 24-year-old women, and gonorrhea cases doubled among men.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health says cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have jumped nearly 7 percent.

If not treated with antibiotics, these diseases can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth and increased risk of contracting HIV. Late-stage syphilis can cause paralysis, dementia, blindness, organ failure and death. Gonorrhea can be fatal.

Oklahoma is familiar with bad STD rankings. In 2015, the state had the fifth-highest rate of gonorrhea in the U.S. and seventh-highest rate of chlamydia.

In 2013, the Tulsa World reported high concentrations of STDs within pockets of the city, including areas with rates four to nine times higher than national averages.

We know how to reverse high STD rates, if the public has the will to act.

The state health department encourages regular STD testing, having protected sex only, limiting the number of sexual partners and not using shared needles.

Several local nonprofits offer services in education, testing and treatment, including the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, Tulsa City-County Health Department and HOPE Inc.

Evidence-based pregnancy prevention programs offered in some area schools and other organizations also provide education about STDs.

This is a social problem that impacts everyone, not just those infected. In a weakened workforce and public health costs, we all pay a price for high STD rates.

Honest and straight-forward education is key to prevention, and testing is the only route to treatment.