Boise (670 KBOI News) – Public health officials in Idaho are concerned about what they’re calling an alarming increase in Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Chris Smith with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says in the last few years, they’ve seen the STD rate skyrocket.

“After historically low rates we had for sexually transmitted diseases in Idaho in the 1990s — chlamydia, gonorrhea and early syphilis — we’re seeing a rapid rise in cases in the last several years,” said Smith.  “It is literally unlike anything we’ve seen in the past three decades.”

As for why the increase is happening, Smith says it could have to do with the 300% increase in the use of online dating apps since the year 2013.

He says they may encourage anonymous sex among young people especially, but also homosexual men.

You can find more information about testing and protection at gettested.CDC.gov, or DHWblog.com.