Soon, diagnosing a sexually transmitted disease will be as easy as slipping a chip inside a mobile phone or computer. No, seriously. Doctors and scientists in the United Kingdom are developing small devices, said to be the size of a USB chip, that they hope will curb the growing number of cases of gonorrhea, herpes and chlamydia in young people.
Here’s how it works.
Say you think you’ve been infected by a partner. Instead of traveling to the hospital or doctor’s office, all you would have to do is place a small amount of urine or saliva onto a computer chip, slide it into a your mobile device or computer and within a matter of minutes, you’ll know whether or not you have a huge problem on your hands.
Experts are hoping that the combination of this technology with the ability to get test results quickly and privately will catch on with youth who are too embarrassed to head to a clinic to get tested. No word on when the technology will become available to the general public but as of right now, £4m has been invested into the project through the UK’s Clinical Research Collaboration so the wheels are turning.
When these kits go mainstream, the developers hope to sell them for as little as 50p or £1 each. As far as availability, they will be in places condoms are normally found.
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