Cell Phone App that Tests for STDs in the Works

Sexually transmitted diseases are surprisingly still on the rise, especially in the United Kingdom. Doctors and techies are working overtime on a new device that will enable folks to self-diagnose for STDs, including HIV, through the use of their cell phones.

Herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea are on an upwards swing, especially among the youth in the UK. The cell phone app project is called "eSTI2" (Electronic Self-Testing Instruments for Sexually Transmitted Infections) and is a collaborative research effort that includes the University of London, England which has thus far received $6.5 million in grants.

The researchers have developed a chip that when smeared with the urine or saliva of a potentially infected person, can be plugged into a cell phone or computer and an evaluation can be determined within a mere matter of minutes as to whether someone has an STD. After a diagnosis has been made, the chip can then no longer be used.

Sexual health scientists are hopeful that the project's success will curb the growing number of reported STD cases in the UK. Last year alone, there were a reported 482,696 cases of STDs in Great Britain alone. Two-thirds of the country's women who reported a new STI were under 25, as were more than half of men.

The new devices are aimed at a tech-savvy population which experts say typically have reservations about seeking testing for STDs. The device's projected current cost is about $15 to $30 but the scientists plan on bringing it down to a more affordable price point of about $3 before the products are actually marketed.

The on-the-spot, self-diagnosing devices will probably be made available to the public via vending machines or in nightclubs but the research group is still a long way away before making that determination. The product's prototype has to first go through clinical trials and further development before it is released to the public, so retail marketing could be as far out as 10 years away.

Also on the horizon is another on-the-go medical testing device that also utilizes mobile phones. Harvard University chemistry professor George Whitesides has invented a prototype or "lab on a chip" that can be used in the developing world to cheaply diagnose HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis and gastroenteritis.

It seems we may have to wait a while, but the wait is certainly worth it. Hopefully, these new technologies can make some headway into reducing the spread of STDs, especially in the black community.

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