Friday 19 June 2015

You Can Now Get Tested For an STD at Home, Thanks to New App

You Can Now Get Tested For an STD at Home, Thanks to New App

Art: Wesley Johnson

Let's face it—the idea of getting tested for an STD is scary. But now there's a mobile app that's going to make it a little easier and a lot more private. Instead of having to go to a doctor's office or testing clinic, the Planned Parenthood Direct app will allow you to order an at-home test directly from your phone.

Here's how it works: According to Vice[1], the app will be available on iPhone and Android devices, and both men and women can use it. After filling out some information about yourself including your shipping address and payment information (the service will cost a flat fee of $149), you'll be able to order the test, and it'll be delivered to your door in a discreet package within the next few days.

The test itself is a urine sample, so you'll pee in a cup, and mail it back to Planned Parenthood. They'll test it for STDs and send the results to you through the app. If you test positive, you'll also receive instructions for getting treatment which could include an emailed prescription for antibiotics.

Planned Parenthood Direct is currently only available in California right now, but it could roll out to other states in the near future. In the meantime, those outside of California can either see their doctors or visit a Planned Parenthood clinic to get tested.

And of course, our phones can only do so much. Apps should never replace in-person care completely, so keeping regular doctors appointments is still important. This new tool just makes things easier, especially for those who are too nervous or too busy to physically go somewhere and get tested.

Do you think this app is the future of STD testing? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Related:
Have You Been Tested? The "STD Talk" Made Easy[2]
Chlamydia Rates Soar at High School with Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Policy[3]
How Birth Control Has Changed Our Society For the Better[4]

Source : http://www.teenvogue.com/my-life/health/2015-06/std-test-mobile-app
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