Worried about the stigma of going to a clinic to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
A team of higher education students is working on enhancing a mobile application to allow men who need such tests to do so in the privacy of their homes.
This app is for men only and requires you to submit a photo of your penis. It then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the physical symptoms of her STD.
The team is currently developing additional features such as test kits recommended for users, which users can purchase and have delivered to their homes. After he submits a urine or blood sample, the lab can conduct tests to see if he has a sexually transmitted disease.
On Saturday (20th August), the team won the top prize of $20,000 in the open category of the 6th Medical Grand Challenge held at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Hosted by the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, this annual event aims to bring together students from various universities in Singapore to explore creative solutions to their healthcare needs.
Students from universities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand also participated in this year’s contest.
The basic app, known as HeHealth, is the brainchild of Yudara Kularathne, 41, a clinical instructor at NUS. He directs his team of eight students from various schools and departments, including one PhD student in Pharmacy and two students from the Renaissance Engineering program at NUS. Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Team leader Jaime Pan, 19, said the team chose to focus on STDs because of the stigma surrounding the topic. We hope to make it more accessible and less taboo.
“We want to normalize the conversation about STDs because people continue to fear being afflicted with STDs and often refuse to be tested for fear of being judged. Because there are many,” said a second-year NTU medical student.
“This is dangerous because it can spread to other people.”
The team also plans to partner with manufacturers of STD test kits to roll out the app to other parts of Southeast Asia. No release date has been set for the enhanced app.
Other winners include video surveillance and analysis software that can detect early signs of autism in children, and a 3D printed braille pad that can convert braille text into audiobooks.
The guest of honor, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, praised the event for fostering innovation.
