Eastern Michigan University student creates app that promote safer sex

Student creates safer sex app

Max Morefield says sexually transmitted diseases have been a source of shame and stigma, particularly against the LGBTQ community. Then one day, he realized he had contracted an STI.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (FOX 2) - A graduate student at Eastern Michigan University wants to change the way we view sexually transmitted infections, aiming to remove shame and stigma in the process.

Big picture view:

Max Morefield says sexually transmitted diseases have been a source of shame and stigma, particularly against the LGBTQ community. Then one day, he realized he had contracted an STI.

"Before I contracted chlamydia and gonorrhea, I had never been informed of my past partners," he said.

When he became a grad student at Eastern Michigan University, he decided to create something to promote safer sex. An app anyone can download called Knowledge & Information Safer Sex, or KISS for short. 

How it works:

Users can create an anonymous profile using a random Google or Apple email, and anytime they have an encounter with someone, they simply share the QR code or record the unique code. It has medication testing reminders and an extensive knowledge library on sexual health, wellness, contraception, STIs testing, and most importantly, when someone tests positive for an STI, KISS instantly and anonymously notifies them of potential infection.

The app is designed to maintain privacy.

"My development team is called Rapid Development, and we have a Google business agreement. Everything is built on Firebase, which is a HIPAA-compliant platform. I wondered why this doesn't exist in the world of STI and sexual health," said Morefield.

Dig deeper:

Morefield says he got the idea during the COVID pandemic when people notified others of infection. The education he received as an undergrad at EMU, and now as a grad student, has helped him push this app forward.

"EMU really provides great training and access to a network," he said.

On Monday, Morefield shared his knowledge with a senior-level business management class and says his goal is to create a world where STIs don’t exist.

"So if everyone downloaded the app and used it, we could kiss STIs goodbye," said Morefield.