Grindr, the world’s most popular gay dating app, has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Emory University, and other public health organizations and corporations to distribute free at-home HIV testing kits to individuals most affected by the virus. The Together TakeMeHome campaign, which launched Tuesday, will provide up to 1 million HIV self-tests over the next five years, at no cost to individuals. This program was initiated in response to the decline in the number of HIV tests administered nationwide during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The primary role of Grindr in the campaign is to allow users in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to easily order an at-home HIV test directly from the app. Starting Tuesday afternoon, Grindr users will see a “Free HIV Home Test” button in the app’s main menu. Those who click will be redirected to the Together TakeMeHome site, where they can order an at-home HIV test kit that consists of an FDA-approved OraQuick device that uses mouth swabs and takes 20 minutes to provide a result.
According to a statement released by Emory, the program is focused on U.S. populations disproportionately affected by HIV, including cisgender men who have sex with men, transgender people, and Black cisgender women. Men who have sex with men account for 70% of new cases of HIV in the U.S., and the much smaller populations of Black and Latino peers comprise a respective 26% and 23% of new cases.
Grindr’s involvement in the effort is a significant step towards empowering individuals to take control of their sexual health. Dr. Robyn Neblett, the acting director of the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, said that these at-home tests give people “the power to test on their own terms,” removing barriers to testing like stigma, discrimination, and access to physical services. The CDC recommends that those ages 13 to 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care, and those with certain risk factors, including men who have sex with men, should get tested at least once a year.
In conclusion, Grindr’s efforts to provide free at-home HIV testing kits is a significant step towards promoting sexual health and preventing the spread of HIV. With the program’s focus on populations most affected by the virus and the ease of ordering the test directly from the app, this initiative is likely to have a positive impact on HIV testing rates and ultimately contribute to ending the HIV epidemic.