Posts
To counter high rates of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs), commercial and nonprofit innovators have
developed solutions for tech-savvy users to stay healthy or share their STI
status with partners.
The Qpid.me free Web site helps
people make informed decisions about sexual partners by allowing the user to
share “verified” STI test results with potential partners. Qpid.me users can
share HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis test results directly from their
healthcare providers. Results include date of testing and notification that the
person may have had sex since the test.
The STDTriage application allows the
user to submit a photo and a brief description of a skin problem to a licensed
dermatologist, who directs the user to the right level of care within
approximately six hours. The service costs $40. Although the Stockholm-based
tele-dermatology company iDoc24 originally developed the app for general skin
problems, the service quickly became popular for STIs because of the anonymity
the app offered. STDTriage provides information about the inquiry and
recommends follow-up with a dermatologist or STD clinic.
Sexual Health Innovations, a US
nonprofit that focuses on using technology to promote sexual health and
wellbeing, developed sotheycanknow.org. The service presents STD information
and sexual health resources, and allows users to send an anonymous e-mail,
text, or e-card to inform partners that they may have been exposed to an STI.
Sotheycanknow.org aims to “fill in the gaps” for people unwilling or unable to
inform their partners of STI risk.
CDC estimates that approximately
half of US STIs occur among people ages 15 to 24. Although the consequences of
STIs such as human papillomavirus are often worse for women, the number of STIs
is almost equal among women (51 percent) and men (49 percent). The United
States spends approximately $15.6 billion each year treating the eight most
common STIs.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
