Okay, real talk: if you could just snap a pic of your partner’s junk and have an app tell you if they’re STI-free, would you? It sounds like a futuristic dream (or nightmare?), but apps like HeHealth’s Calmara AI are actually trying to make this a thing. They promise you can upload a photo of your partner’s penis (or your own), and in a few taps, get an emoji-fied result saying “Clear!” or a big fat “Hold up!!!” Yeah, it’s as wild as it sounds.
But before you whip out your phone, let’s talk about what’s going on here. AI-powered sexual health apps are flooding the market, and honestly, it’s raising a ton of questions. Like, is this really safe? Reliable? Should we trust an app over, you know, actual doctors? Let’s dive in.
Sexual Health Meets AI
In theory, having an AI scan for STIs sounds like the kind of high-tech solution that could revolutionize sexual health. No more awkward convos at the doctor’s office or long waits for test results, right? And no more waiting on getting an appointment before you jump into bed. But hold on. There’s a reason people are throwing major side-eye at these apps.
Calmara AI claimed it could provide “science-backed” answers about your partner’s STI status. But, like… can it really? A bunch of other experts in the sexual health space are skeptical, and for good reason. Turns out, the app wasn’t exactly giving clear results. HeHealth pulled Calmara AI after a ton of backlash and an investigation by the FTC. So, for now, your phone won’t be replacing STI tests anytime soon.
Another major “YIKES” moment: privacy. Apps like Calmara are banking on the fact that people feel embarrassed about STIs and might prefer to check things out in private, without going to the doctor. But what happens to those photos after you upload them? Are they safe? Who gets access to that info? It feels worse than your dick pics floating around somewhere in The Cloud.
And let’s not forget, if you’re not paying for an app, you are the product. That means your data might be getting sold or used in ways you didn’t sign up for. Some companies may not even be covered by HIPAA (the law that protects your medical privacy), so… proceed with caution.
Just found out about an app that uses AI to determine if you have an STI. I can only imagine how horrible this will go.
— Dylan the QUEER Epi (They/Them) (@queerenbyepi) March 26, 2024
Could The Future Of STI Testing Be AI? Spoiler Alert: Not Anytime Soon
Let’s get one thing straight: AI is not magic. It’s basically a machine learning from patterns, and it’s only as good as the data it’s trained on. When it comes to something as serious as sexual health, relying on AI can be risky. STIs can be sneaky, and many don’t show any symptoms at all. So, unless you’ve got a lab test to back it up, an app can’t really give you a clean bill of health.
Plus, the way these apps are trained can be sketchy. Calmara’s model was trained on a mix of real photos and… fake ones? Yeah, they used doctored images by layering infections on healthy penises. I know, very odd. So, the chances of it messing up are pretty high.
The thing is, AI could eventually have a place in sexual health… but not without a lot more oversight, accuracy, and privacy protection. Right now, though? It’s feeling more like one of those gimmick apps than anything real. When companies are more focused on raising VC money than partnering with actual doctors, it’s a red flag. Like, sure, they might be targeting people who don’t have easy access to health care (especially women and queer folks), but is AI really the answer?
At the end of the day, sexual health is serious business. So, until we have apps that are truly safe, secure, and medically backed, it’s probably best to keep trusting your doctor over an app trying to analyze a dick pic.
