Saskatchewan Prevention Institute launches app to fight STI

SASKATOON – It’s a problem that doesn’t seem to be going away in Saskatchewan.

In 2010, the province had the second highest rates in the country for gonorrhea and Chlamydia.

Fast forward to this past spring and health officials warned of a syphilis outbreak in the region as well as an increase in cases of gonorrhea.

 READ MORE: Syphilis outbreak attributed to online ‘hook-up’ sites

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These are numbers that prompted the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute to launch its very first smart phone app called Keep it Safe Saskatchewan (KIS-SK)

Geared towards young adults, the free app allows users to learn about contraceptives, where to receive free ones and locations to get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the province.

The goal is to reduce unintended pregnancies, the rate of STIs and the occurrence of disabling conditions in children.

“With STIs, if they go undiagnosed and untreated there’s a risk that there will be an impact on both the fertility for men and for women and also impact on the health of the fetus when the baby is developing,” said Noreen Agrey, with the institute.

“We want to make sure people are checking their health status on a regular basis.”

KIS-SK also features a function to set reminders for taking contraceptives or booking health appointments.