A new mobile phone app has been launched in Kent that directs teenagers towards the nearest place where free condoms are given out.
The project is part of Kent Community Health NHS Trust’s drive to improve sexual health and reduce unplanned teenage pregnancies in the area.
The Kent C Card iPhone app gives teenagers aged 19 and under information on how and where to get free condoms using their C Card – a community-based contraception scheme set up in 2007.
The app uses active maps to direct teenagers to the nearest outlet offering free condoms to anyone registered with the scheme.
It also offers advice on how to register for the card, where to get contraception in an emergency, and information about getting treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
When teenagers register for the card they will be told about the app and given a “quick response” code that they can scan immediately to download the free app. It can also be downloaded by searching for ‘Kent C Card’ in the app store.
The app was developed by Tinderhouse, a Canterbury-based app development company at the University of Kent Innovation Centre.
Managing director Nick Tatt said the app was a great example of how mobile technology could be used to give access to information when and where it was needed.
The app is currently only available for iPhone. However, other platforms may follow.