There are apps for your cell phone to guide you around town, to find a date and to listen to music.
Now, there is an app that allows you to receive and share your latest sexually transmitted disease and HIV testing results. The app, which is already being used by health organizations across the United States, is available for free download in Apple's App Store.
Ramin Bastani is Healthvana's creator.
"So, the idea is to empower the patient with the information at their fingertips to make better health decisions," Bastani said via a Skype interview from Los Angeles. "Also, it helps patients get their records instantly."
Has technology gone too far, though? Is getting a serious medical diagnosis on your cell phone necessarily a good idea? Reaction seems to be mixed.
Abby Nicholson is the prevention programs director for the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida. The organization dedicated to educating the sexually active risks and assisting those who have acquired an STD.
"Any time someone finds out they have a disease — whether it is acute, chronic or infectious — you want someone ideally to be with them," Nicholson said.
But in the current electronic world, an app like Healthvana may provide some important benefits such as anonymity, Nicholson said.
"This app reaches people who wouldn't normally find out their status," she said. "That's always a good thing. We want people to get tested. We want people to know their status."
Bastani said he expects his app to go hand-in-hand with online dating services by letting prospective partners know someone's sexual health.
The application uses encryption software so that all data that is stored or accessed via the app is safe for patients.
The app will relay results for tests for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia immediately when they are released. HIV results, if positive, will still be given at the doctor's office.