Soundoff is a public forum. Articles are selected from letters to the editor or may be written specifically for this feature. Today, Port Orchard resident Karl Duff argues Kitsap County’s incidence of chlamydia is being underestimated and under-reported. .

Chlamydia has been at epidemic proportions for years, but the Bremerton-Kitsap Health District has carefully kept this hidden by the disguise with which it presents its data.

As reported by the local media, the rate appears small, since it is stated against the entire county population base — which by definition includes married couples, the elderly, children and other youth under the age of 15.

However, the epidemic is primarily taking place among girls and women ages 15 to 24.

Kitsap has about 16,000 in this age group, and heir infection rates are rapidly increasing.

The Health District has reported 350 cases in the first five months of 2008 alone, equating to nearly 900 cases annually.

Assuming half the girls in this age group are either married (with a still faithful marriage) or not sexually active, the statistics therefore show about 10 to 12 percent chance (900 out of 8,000) of a single, sexually active girl contracting the disease each year.

Over the 10-year period of exposure of this age group, the chances of not contracting chlamydia are practically zero.

After several infections, even if treated, the chances of girls not becoming infertile also dramatically shrink.

There are already many eligible parents that will never have grandchildren.

Keep in mind that many cases of chlamydia also go untested and unreported in the data base because they show no symptoms.

We live in a culture where illicit sex rules, but the consequences of violating God’s admonitions for men and women to limit sex to their own married monogamous partner will not be denied.

If people won’t heed God’s word, will they likely heed a few STD statistics?

Will parents even tell their children?