iPhone condom-finder app unveiled for New Yorkers

The New York City Health Department has launched an iPhone and Android application - NYC Condom Finder - to help users find free condoms.

The free application allows New Yorkers to locate the nearest venues that distribute free NYC Condoms using mobile phone global positioning system (GPS) technology on their smartphone or by manually entering an address.

To download the app, New Yorkers with Android or Apple mobile phones should search for ‘NYC Condom’ in the Android Market or the iPhone App Store on their respective devices. The NYC Condom Facebook page will also have information about how to download the application.

With almost 1,000 condom distribution locations throughout the five boroughs currently accessible through the mobile app, New Yorkers will find that no matter where they are, they can always be protected from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and unintended pregnancy, the health department said.

The health department said new application is the latest effort to promote condom use in New York City through the Health Department’s free condom distribution program. The attempts began in 2007 when New York City launched the nation’s first branded city condom.

Partner reduction and regular condom use are the surest ways to reduce the risk of exposure to these potentially serious infections among New Yorkers who are sexually active, it said.

The NYC Condom is a lubricated Lifestyles male condom - the same one sold in stores - but has its own distinctive wrapper and it’s free, the health department said.

For last five years, New York City has given out an average of three million condoms per month, a report from Reuters said.