ONSLOW COUNTY-- When it comes to STDs, it's important to stay educated.
''If you haven't been exposed to that information, if you haven't heard about these diseases, if you haven't heard what they can do, then you don't know, 'hey I need to protect myself,'" said Pamela Brown, public information officer for Onslow Co. Health Department.
According to the Health and Human Services 2014 annual report, counties in eastern North Carolina had alarming numbers in chlamydia rates per 100,000 people.
Pitt had 918.7, Craven had 614.3 and Onslow had 663.2.
"It's no shocker that a very young county such as Onslow, such as Pitt, that have a very young population, have the highest rates of STDs," said Jacob Farnsworth, Onslow County communicable disease nurse supervisor.
"Onslow County, I believe, did rank the eighth highest in the state for the number of cases newly diagnosed of chlamydia. Nearly 70 percent of those cases occurred in the age group of 15 to 24 years old," said Farnsworth.
Health officials said syphilis infections in the state have seen a 39 percent increase from 2014 to 2015.
"Almost 90 percent of newly acquired syphilis cases were in males. Nationwide per the CDC 75 percent of new cases are men who have sex with men," said Farnsworth.
At risk behaviors are what officials say is the cause like having multiple sexual partners or not knowing your status.
"We do same day visits, walk-in clinic. So people who want to be tested, we have that access to care," said Farnsworth.
"That's what we want people to do. We just want them to be able to have the best quality, the healthiest life that they can have for as long as they can have it," said Brown.
If you would like to learn more about your county's rank, click here.