A Kandiyohi County coalition focused on healthy teen sexuality is turning to the public this fall to help craft a community plan that fosters adolescent health.

One of the main goals is to reduce the local incidence of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection that has soared to epidemic proportions in Minnesota in recent years.

The first in a series of public meetings will be Monday. Organizers hope to end up with a strategy that can be carried out over at least the next three years.

“We’d like to have a plan that really comes from the community, has a community voice and community support and is well-balanced,” said Deb Schmitzerle, coordinator with Kandiyohi County Public Health of the Coalition for Healthy Adolescent Sexuality.

The initial meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Lakeland Auditorium on the lower level of the Lakeland Health Center building in Willmar.

Meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. the following four Mondays, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22 and Oct. 29, in the Rice Auditorium on the lower level of the Lakeland Health Center.

“We do want anyone in the community who has an interest to know about it,” Schmitzerle said.

Surveys suggest that sexual activity is occurring less often among American adolescents and that more teens are delaying the start of sexual activity. But chlamydia rates are moving in the opposite direction.

chlamydia transmission is now the leading infectious disease reported in Minnesota — nearly 17,000 in 2011, a record number. Almost three-fourths of cases were in teens and young adults aged 15 to 24. Rates in Kandiyohi County are among some of the highest in the state.

Although it’s readily treatable, as many as 75 percent of females and 50 percent of males with the infection go undiagnosed because symptoms often are not evident. Left untreated, chlamydia can unknowingly be spread to other partners and result in infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Infected women also can pass the infection to their newborn child, causing premature delivery, infant pneumonia and eye infections that may lead to blindness.

The Kandiyohi County Coalition for Healthy Adolescent Sexuality began working in 2010 with the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership. More recently, the group also began working with the Minnesota Department of Health to not only reduce the incidence of chlamydia but to promote overall healthy behavior among teens and young adults.

“We are concerned about teens getting pregnant and we are concerned about sexually transmitted diseases,” Schmitzerle said. “But we’re really concerned about all teens and healthy sexuality. Is there something we can do as a community to support young people to be healthy?”

Chlamydia is a main focus because it’s something that can be measured, she said.

But members of the coalition want to take a broad approach that includes social factors and the attitudes and belief systems that help shape health, decisions and behavior.

One of the recommendations issued by the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership is to use youth development as a chlamydia prevention strategy. The partnership also has called for more widespread chlamydia screening, especially among young women, and a greater emphasis on public health involvement and public policies that promote sexual health among teens and young adults.

A goal of the planning process this coming month will be to test how some of these strategies work at the local level, Schmitzerle said. “That’s what we’re hoping to do — to look at some of these ideas.”

The issue is “very sensitive,” she acknowledged. “These conversations start young and need to continue.”

chlamydia transmission With Sexual Health Week continuing until Sunday, public health experts are encouraging young people and others to consult their doctor for regular sex health check-ups as well as to continue safe-sex practices.

The key message of this year’s Sexual Health Week from September 17-23 is ‘Check it Out’ with the campaign to particularly focus on targeting the transmission of Chlamydia.

In Sydney, recent figures from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) Public Health Unit show rates of Chlamydia continue to rise by an average of 15 per cent annually among 16 – 25 year olds in the South Eastern Sydney region.

From 2008 to 2011, Chlamydia notifications in Sydney’s eastern and south eastern suburbs, which include the Botany Bay, Randwick, Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra local government areas, have increased by 34 per cent in males and 30 per cent in females.

Director of Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Dr Anna McNulty, told SX while the increase could be largely put down to greater testing for the STI, notification rates continued to remain high amongst gay men and men who have sex with men.

“This is largely due to increased testing for Chlamydia, but also due to increased Chlamydia notification rates, which are unfortunately still high amongst gay men, and more so, men who have sex with men,” she said.

“Many people who have an STI do not have any obvious symptoms or signs, particularly with Chlamydia, which often has no symptoms.

“Chlamydia is easy to test for with a urine test and, like many STIs, is easily treated with a simple dose of antibiotics. But it is better to have never had it at all. Chlamydia is easily prevented by using condoms,” she said.

“We encourage young people who are sexually active to use condoms and to see their GP, local sexual health clinic or youth health service to check out their sexual health and regularly test for STIs, in particular Chlamydia.”

A number of events will be held in Sydney to coincide with Sexual Health Week. A Safety and Wellness Expo will run at the University of NSW all week featuring live music, demonstrations, stalls, workshops and free giveaways including safe sex packs. Yesterday, a Creative Youth Initiative was held at Surry Hills involving the creation of a mural as well as a music video while Woolloomooloo PCYC hosted a sexual health awareness workshop and training sessions for youth workers.