And one of the most affected groups is children age 12 to 14.

Dr. Andre Corriveau, NWT chief medical officer, said the trend is a sharp contrast to the rest of the nation, where STD rates have dropped or stabilized.

Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board (YKHSS) reports between 1996 and 2001 STD rates among 12- to 14-year-olds increased by a staggering 61 per cent. In the 16 to 18 age group the rate was even greater -- 63 per cent.

Corriveau said they simply don't know what is causing the disturbing trend, but are working on finding answers.

"That was one of the triggers for the sexual abuse conference we had a couple weeks ago," he said.

Corriveau speculated that the increase could be associated with sexual assault, because there is a large age gap between younger sexually active teens and their partners.

"When you start having a 10- or 12-year-old and the sexual partner is 19, you start wondering if it is consensual. The concern is this a power relationship," said Corriveau.

"We're still in the process of consulting, but there is another workshop planned in the spring focusing on STDs."

Problem more than education

Corriveau said he believes education on STDs could be improved in the territory, but that is not the primary cause of the rising rates.

There are education materials available and courses are taught in schools explaining the dangers and preventions of STDs.

"We don't think it is just an education problem," said Corriveau.

"There's definitely something else and we are trying to get a handle on that."

Statistics for 2002 have not been compiled.

Corriveau said he is not expecting a huge increase this year, but he is also not expecting the number to stabilize.

Disturbing numbers

Les Harrison, director of community and family services with YKHSS, conducted a workshop on STD trends in November.

The statistics provided a startling comparison between Canadian and NWT rates.

Harrison said the STDs mostly pertain to chlamydia and gonorrhea:

• Children aged 15 - 19: NWT 5.05 per cent; Canada 0.6.
• Children aged 10 - 14: NWT 0.3 per cent; Canada 0.02.
• Adults aged 20 - 24: NWT 5.5 per cent; Canada 0.7.
• Overall average: NWT 1.3 per cent; Canada 0.1.

"On average, the rates are 10 times higher," said Harrison.

"It's definitely significantly higher in relation to population. It's a concern our rates would be significantly higher than the rest of Canada."