Planned Parenthood’s app makes testing for STDs a bit less awkward

Let’s be honest: We’d all rather pretend that sexually transmitted infections just don’t exist. A world without STDs would be a world without awkward conversations, sneaking off to the doctor’s office mid-day and nervously filling prescriptions. In California, this dreaded process may become a little less stressful thanks to a new mobile app launched by Planned Parenthood. The app, found in the Google and Apple app stores under the name Planned Parenthood Direct, allows users to request a lab kit that tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea, the two most prevalent STDs. When the nondescript kit arrives within two to four business days, the patient follows a set of directions to provide a urine sample and sends it back in the mail to a Planned Parenthood lab. The results are delivered in the app, and if the test is positive, a Planned Parenthood clinician will arrange to send an antibiotic prescription directly to the patient’s pharmacy. Treating gonorrhea requires an additional visit to a health provider or Planned Parenthood clinic to receive an antibiotic injection in addition to the oral dose.