Smartphone App Allows People To Share STD Status

Almost half of American high school students are sexually active, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Each year, millions of teens contract sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, which can risk lives and cause other harmful consequences such as infertility.

A new app called MedXCom is designed to promote regular STD checkups and sharing STD status with potential sexual partners. Users can share their STD status, as well as other information, by bumping phones.

Dr. Michael Nusbaum, the New Jersey developer of the app, calls it “safe bumping,” and says those who screen negative for STDs at their doctors can ask to have the STD-free status documented on the app, allowing them to share the information with whomever they choose.

[Images via MedXCom via iTunes]