1. Introduction
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) refer to infections transmitted
through sexual acts 1. Sexually transmitted diseases
are common problems worldwide and may involve skin-to-skin contact to
infect others 2. Common sexual diseases include
chlamydia, syphilis, gonococcal infection, chancroid, lymphogranuloma
venereum, granuloma inguinale, and herpes. Moreover, some sexual
diseases that may chronically impact similar viral infections can
account for nearly all sexual behavior-related deaths3. STDs are among the essential ten causes of diseases
in adult males and females in developing countries 4.
Various models can examine heterogeneity in sexual behavior and
calculate how different variations impact epidemiologic patterns such as
heterogeneity in sex acts and having many sex partners5,6.
Prevention of STDs includes assessing behavioral risk (e.g., risky
sexual behavior) related to heterogeneity 1.
Individual health codes that give information about sexual diseases can
be used to increase awareness and reduce the spread of disease.
Recently, the health-code-based triage system showed high effectiveness
in triaging patients with epidemiological history in China7. Especially, the onset of COVID-19 has raised a
substantial increase in the use of health tracking technologies8 supported by the health applications of the
government. Based on one’s health data, a code representing personal
health conditions is created by verifying what the resident reports9. In addition, health codes were used for various
health tracking in cardiac 10 and pregnancy11.
Collectively, changing the selection of sexual partners and avoiding
certain sexual practices may reduce the risk of infection12. Considering it, sexual health code applications
supported by government health applications can help improve awareness
and reduce STDs’ prevalence.
The functionality and design of the sexual health code are essential
determinants of the application’s success. Firstly, individuals or both
partners should voluntarily select whether they want to use it or not.
Moreover, the application can include vaccination information to foster
vaccination related to sexual health and help to calculate potential
future risks. It should be supported by other government health
applications to allow using official sexual test results to be
processed. If the previous partner was detected positive, individuals
should go to the hospital to be tested. If they were not appropriately
tested, the application might have a notification that can only be
removed after the sexual examination that shows they do not have the
contagious sexual disease. Furthermore, the application should include
the period of intercourse.
Privacy issues and how to store health data are some of the main
concerns of the health code. National legislatures should embrace
sufficient ethical principles to ensure that health tracking policies
will be strictly prescribed by law 13.
Application-makers should pay maximum attention to issues of
confidentiality and anonymity. Their name or national identity numbers
should not be stored by the application to avoid potential stigma. Their
previous sexual diseases can be removed if tested negative, and they
should be able to delete the application later.
There is a possibility that couples are not interested in registering
for the sexual health application. Furthermore, it may lead people to
think that if there is no sexual notification, they are safe to have
intercourse. Thus, necessary precautions should be taken to minimize the
risks associated with using the application.
In the long term, sexual health applications may increase awareness of
sexual diseases, thereby reducing the prevalence of sexual disorders.
However, there are still limitations, such as intergenerational
differences in mobile phones, as some prefer not to use mobile
applications 14. Furthermore, ethical guidelines and
strict health surveillance policies for health tracking apps are
necessary to protect the citizens.