Andre Yoskowitz
9 Nov 2010 19:46
If you think you may have an STD (sexually-transmitted disease) but are too embarrassed to see a doctor about it, you may be in luck soon.
British health officials are currently developing a mobile phone app that will allow users to get diagnosed within minutes, and without needing to head to a clinic or a doctor's office.
The impressive app would work as follows (via Guardian): "A user would put urine or saliva on a computer chip about the size of a USB chip and then plug it into their phone or computer. And voila, a diagnosis will appear right before their eyes."
There have been over $6 million dollars invested into the project already by the U.K. Clinical Research Collaboration.
Lead researcher Dr. Tariq Sadiq, consultant physician in sexual health and HIV at St. George's, University of London says: "Your mobile phone can be your mobile doctor. We need to tackle the rising epidemic of STIs, which have been going up and up and up. Britain is one of the worst [countries] in western Europe for teenage pregnancy and STIs."
If the app confirms you have an STD, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or herpes, the app "tells you where to go next to get treatment."