Tinder Adds Feature to Help “Swipe Out” STDs

Tinder, a dating application known for its swiping component, is giving users access to testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) right in the palms of their hands.

There has been some alarming news focused on STDs recently. The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that more than half the world has herpes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided data which showed that gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are on the rise in the United States. In an effort to open communication between partners, Tinder has teamed up with Healthvana, a cloud-based technology platform that launched in the summer of 2014.

“An important aspect of any healthy relationship — whether formed on Tinder or otherwise – is ensuring sexual health and safety,” Jessica Carbino, PhD, lead sociologist at Tinder, said in a news release.

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Tinder is adding a Health Safety section in the app with a link to Healthvana. Users will be able to search testing locations near them. Since the majority of new STD infections in 2014 were in young people, it only makes sense to target them where they spend a lot of their time — on their smartphones.

“Staying healthy in today’s dating world means getting tested regularly, practicing safe sex and having honest conversations about your [human immunodeficiency virus] HIV and STD status,” said Ramin Bastani, CEO of Healthvana.

There is no word about when the feature will officially launch, but by the looks of it users will be able to access it very soon.

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