There are apps for finding the best deals at the grocery store, for finding a new place to live, and even for finding the closest ATM. So why not an app for finding a date that is "verified" to be free of sexually transmitted diseases? Now, there is one.
A new smartphone application called Check-Mate, is now offering to give sexually active individuals some peace of mind when it comes to dating and STDs. For the price of $1.99, one can download the app from the company STFree Certifications directly to one's iPhone (with an Android version coming next month).
This app will allow the user to share the results of their sexually transmitted disease tests with potential sexual partners, as well as find and locate testing facilities near them.
StFree Certifications was started in 2004 by entrepreneur and philanthropist, Eli Darcy with the first product, a Safer Sex License. This "license" was a smart card, much like a credit card, that allowed individuals to privately verify another person's sexually transmitted disease screening results.
In December 2011, the company took their idea one step farther and launched Check-Mate for mobile phones. With this app they hope to encourage the wired generation to be personally responsible for their sexual health and to get them talking about a subject that is often uncomfortable and embarrassing.
One of the company goals for this app is to make broaching the all-important STD conversation with a new sex partner easier.
In the Rocky Mountain Collegian, Darcy is quoted as saying, “It’s a good way to get that conversation started. The Check-Mate app is a really balanced way of bringing up the subject.”
The app is not a one-step process nor does it give one 100 percent certainty as to the infection status of a sexual partner. After one downloads the app and creates an account, one can use it to find an authorized testing facility, make an appointment, and then turn in the Screening Verification form which was emailed to them. Once the results have been verified, they can be shared with a potential sexual partner.
Check-Mate cannot ensure a person is disease-free, even if they are verified, because they could have become infected after being tested. The company stresses that it doesn't provide a guarantee, but rather that it shows a heightened level of responsibility when it comes to sexual health.
Sources:
Collegian.com. Web. 21 March 2012. "New smartphone app allows users to instantly trade STD screening information". http://www.collegian.com/index.php/article/2012/03/new_smartphone_app_allows_users_to_instantly_trade_std_screening_information
StFree.com. Web. 21 March 2012. "About us". http://www.stfree.com/about_us.html
Reviewed March 22, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith