5 health apps colleges are offering to students

By: Jonah Comstock | Oct 14, 2013        

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just in case2College students are one of the fastest populations to adopt technology trends. According to the Pew Internet and American Life project, 18 to 29-year-olds are the most likely demographic to access health information on their phones. So when a student health service is looking for a way to reach out to more students, an app makes sense.

Although many university health services post lists of health apps on their websites, others have gone further and created or licensed apps that target health problems particular to college campuses.

Whether its sexually transmitted diseases, contagious disease tracking, or suicide prevention, or just healthy eating, apps on campus are beginning to take root. Read on for five smartphone health apps offered to college students by their schools.

The University of Oregon — SexPositive


This app, which launches Tuesday with a presentation by sex columnist Dan Savage, is designed to answer sex question that students might have but not be comfortable asking. The app is formatted with two interlocking wheels displaying words that fill in the blanks in the sentence “What happens when my [blank] touches a [blank]?” The first wheel is filled with body parts, and the second is filled with those body parts as well as other objects. Once the user selects the two words, the app gives three prompts related to the combination: STI risks, safer sex options, and communication tips. The last includes suggestions for broaching a potentially awkward topic and emphasizes the importance of consent in any sexual encounter. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
