For Immediate Release: October 17, 2019
Contact:  Dan Wohlfeiler, danwohlfeiler@bhocpartners.org, 510-697-7988

SAN FRANCISCO – This week, Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) launched a new tool, TellYourPartner.org (TYP), that’s bringing STD prevention into the 21st century. This announcement comes as CDC released new data last week showing that STDs have reached all-time highs after five straight years of increases.

Technology has advanced to the point where all it takes is a few clicks on a smartphone to set up a date for coffee, a drink, or something more. However, dates can often lead to some surprises. TYP provides a simple solution to boost efforts to fight STDs, by making it much easier to have a conversation if one of those surprises is an STD diagnosis.

If it’s too uncomfortable to tell someone in person that they may have been exposed to an STD, TYP offers a platform to send them the news anonymously via text or email so they can get tested. Users can choose a pre-written message or write a personal one of their own. The site also includes helpful hints about how to give someone the news, information about STDs, and a link to find a nearby clinic.

Grindr has already built a link to TellYourPartner.org into its platform, and Building Healthy Online Communities is enlisting the participation of other dating apps as well.

“Sometimes it’s no big deal to tell a partner they may have an STD. But in other situations, it can feel awkward or even unsafe,” said Dan Wohlfeiler, BHOC’s co-founder. “One of the most important things you can do for your partner’s health, your health, and the whole community’s health is to encourage a partner to get tested.”

“We need new and innovative tools to combat the growing STD crisis,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. “TellYourPartner.org is a much-needed 21st century tool in the STD prevention toolbox.”

“It feels good to know your partner is going to get taken care of,” added Wohlfeiler. “It’s good sexual health.”

BHOC sought out input from a number of STD clinic patients to make sure it addressed their needs. It also worked closely with YTH.org, developers of InSPOT, an earlier platform that allowed people to send e-cards to their partners encouraging them to get tested. BHOC’s research showed that app users were more likely to exchange phone numbers than email addresses. They then incorporated the ability to text partners into TellYourPartner.org and added additional features.

“TYP was designed to turn something that can feel so complicated into something easy and quick to use,” said Jen Hecht, co-founder and director of BHOC. “It’s a great example of how we can make technology work to solve really challenging health problems.”