Hornet is the leader in HIV prevention among social networks for gays and bisexuals
This week, the global social network for gays and bisexuals Hornet made a statement that it was one of the first, 6 years ago, introduced the function of testing for HIV among its users - "Know Your Status". During this time, there were already 50 million interactions to this function.
This was the answer to the unfolding PR campaign of the competitive application Grindr, which the other day in The New York Times said that they were the first to introduce this function. The New York Times responded and gave an explanation yesterday that in the “earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to services provided by the gay dating app Hornet. The app has offered H.I.V.-testing reminders to its users since 2012".
As Hornet clarifies, back in October 2011 it was the first application to introduce the "Known Your Status" (KYS) function, prompting users to volunteer to join the campaign and announce their recent testing in their profile.
How does this function work? The user reveals his status in his profile and the time of the last test. After 6 months, the user is reminded of the need to update their status by making a new test, or taking care of themselves (therapy, healthy lifestyles), if the user had HIV+ status.
In 2014, Hornet updated the KYS feature and thereby enabled users to easily find nearby testing centers in the US, the Philippines, Thailand and Brazil.
The KYS function goes beyond the routine prevention of HIV and helps HIV-positive men actively pursue their health and promotes anti-discrimination within the community in relation to HIV status.
25 million users around the world in 27 languages use Hornet and its "Know Your Status" (KYS) function. Hornet has always taken into account the importance of reducing stigma among the community towards HIV, as well as the very need for HIV testing, treatment and prevention. The global gay social network Hornet remains the leader in these issues and continues to take care of men's health among gays and bisexuals.
Author: Alex Schneider
