Sex app launched for 'unsafe' Swedish youth

A new safe-sex initiative has seen the launch of Provligget (‘The Test Bonk’), a Facebook application which allows young Swedes the chance to virtually trial sex with their friends and aims to raise condom awareness.

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The test is an initiative of the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control (Smittskyddsinstitutet) and the the National Council for Coordination of HIV Prevention (Nationella hivrådet) and pits users against one another in a session of virtual sex.

“With summer’s seductively long nights, short shorts and bright days - the opportunity for brief encounters grows too. Maybe under the sky, maybe home in bed as usual,” wrote the Knull De Luxe (literally: Fuck deluxe) website, which is running the campaign.

“Wherever, whenever and with whomever, we want to remind everyone to use condoms. Sweden is actually almost the worst country in the world when it comes to condoms, and this is a trend we think is worth reversing.”

According to the site, many young Swedes find it embarrassing to discuss the use of condoms and this has led to an increasing level of unsafe sex in the country.

The goal of the Institute is to help young Swedes "dare" to bring up the subject, in a time where safe sex has become a decreasing trend.

Gonorrhea cases in young Swedes shot up 13 percent in 2011 compared with the previous year, nowhere more so than among young women who live in the city, wrote the Institute in a statement.

Cases of chlamydia infections have also risen since 2010.

The app is available online, as well as on Facebook, and allows people to match themselves with friends on Facebook or with characters such as “the faker”, “the cheater” or the “summer fling”.

Through virtual interaction, the user is then able to simulate a sexual experience.

The website also lists details for how and where to test for sexually transmitted infections.

TT/The Local/og
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