Sexual health apps are changing lives worldwide, Olivia Kemp reports on how these apps are providing vital, candid knowledge

Many young people don’t get the information they need and technology is one way to give them correct and accurate information. A report by the UN’s world heritage body Unesco says: “Accurate information about sex and healthy relationships leads to greater gender equality worldwide”. This leads to better sexual health, less sexually transmitted infections, HIV and unintended pregnancies. 

Many different women around the world are working hard to find apps and use new technology to educate communities on sexual health. Ruth Nabembezi, 22 said: “my older sister Pamela, who was 23, became very thin, started losing her hair and developed a skin rash. She was HIV positive, but a lack of awareness of the virus and Aids meant she didn’t get medical treatment straight away. She was taken to a witch doctor to be cleansed of demons, when she eventually did get taken to hospital, it was too late and she died there”. Since then she wanted to help people have access to accurate information, so created an app called ‘Ask Without Shame’. This mobile app, free phone line and text message service provides information about sex to young people through their phones.

Another app called ‘Sophie Bot’ was created by Beverly Chogo, 23, who watched her friend go through an abortion. She says: “it led to a lot of bleeding and abdominal pain”. At the time, she says she didn’t understand what was happening to her friend and wanted to do something to help. Young people can ask the Sophie Bot questions about anything, from STIs to family planning and it gives automated responses.

These are just a couple of apps out of many that are helping more and more young people worldwide understand the importance of sexual health and are doing something to make a change in the world.