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

Like it or not, STDs are a very real part of living a sexually active lifestyle, and that’s going to change anytime soon. However, a new app from Planned Parenthood, known as Planned Parenthood Direct, could make testing yourself for STDs a bit less awkward. The app allows users to request test kits for the two most prevalent STDs, chlamydia and gonorrhea, and then mail them back for testing without needing to interact with anyone physically. 

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.