Forget the flowers, go get tested
They say that chivalry is dead and maybe it is because a good knight (the knight is male or female in this scenario) would always be able to look his or her beloved in the eye and say, “Baby, I just got tested, and we are good to go.”
Fortunately, hope for this kind of chivalry lives.
Tinder, a popular dating app, recently added an STD testing centre locator to its site, following recommendations by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
Healthvana, a cloud-based technology platform, provided the STD testing centre locator for Tinder. In addition to being able to locate where individuals can be tested for HIV and STDs, the platform allows for electronic patient intake, electronic test results delivery with next steps, and electronic reminders.
Ramin Bastani, CEO of Healthvana, hopes that all social networks will follow Tinder’s lead.
“Staying healthy in today’s dating world means getting tested regularly, practicing safe sex, and having honest conversations about your HIV and STD status. Healthvana empowers people with actionable health information at their fingertips so they can make better decisions. We already have hundreds of thousands of people using our testing locator to find free, quick, and confidential testing at sexual health clinics near them,” said Bastani.
It’s especially important for dating websites to promote sexual health in this way because STDs have increased drastically over the past few years and some have connected the increase to the popularity of online dating.
With all these benefits, The Ontarion asked Bastani when Healthvana would be available to Canadian residents.
“We are only U.S.based at this point and are not sure when we’ll be available in Canada…but it is in our roadmap for the future,” said Bastani.
The Ontarion also asked Bastani if clients should have any cause for concern regarding having one’s sexual health history available online.
“Banking information is online. People deserve a right to their health information online too, if they want it,” Bastani explained.
Bastani adds that Healthvana’s free testing locator is likely to pop up on other dating websites sooner rather than later. How soon, and which sites in particular, remains to be seen.
Although Healthvana isn’t an option for Canadians yet, its presence on Tinder is a good reminder for those who are sexually active to get checked out.
Flowers and candy may be date night classics, but nothing says, “I care about you and your sexual health” like getting tested. So do it (get tested) before you do it (it). It’s just good manners.