UK research forum developing mobile phone-based STD test

The Guardian reports that UK scientists and engineers are collaborating to design a cell phone-based test capable of detecting herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea, among other STDs.

Currently in development by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, the diagnostic test would operate much like a home pregnancy test, the news provider explains.

A small tab plugged into a mobile phone collects and analyzes a small amount of urine, revealing in minutes if the tester has an infection.

Project leader Tariq Sadiq told the Guardian that a "mobile phone can be your mobile doctor. It diagnoses whether you've got one of a range of [STDs], such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, and tells you where to go next to get treatment.”

Sadiq also explained that the phone-based technology is intended for teens and tech-using young adults in particular.

He added that the ease and privacy of the test could eliminate the "major embarrassment factor," which he associates with rising teen STD rates.

For those concerned that they may be among the millions infected with an STD, online testing services may provide a similar level of privacy and accuracy without requiring cell phone technology.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 19 million sexually transmitted infections occur every year, with nearly half of them among people 15 to 24 years old.