New 'safe bumping' smartphone app to curb spread of STDs among teens
Washington, December 26 (ANI)
A doctor hopes to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among teens with a smartphone app that lets users "bump" their STD status.
The app called MedXCom allows people to exchange STD status by bumping their phones, ABS News reported.
Almost 50 percent of American high school students are having sex, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
And each year, millions of those sexually active teens contract sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and HIV.
It's called 'safe bumping,' said Dr. Michael Nusbaum, the New Jersey developer of MedXSafe, a feature of the new app.
The app's special feature, according to Nussbaum, encourages dating singles to go to the doctor for regular STD checks. Those who screen negative can ask their doctors to document their STD-free status on the app, allowing users to share the information with whomever they choose.
Some undetected and untreated STDs can increase a person's risk for HIV and cause other serious health consequences, such as infertility, according to Mary McFarlane, an acting chief in the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC.