New smartphone app makes sure your hookup is STD Free!

Teens love technology, but can it help them have safer sex? That’s the thinking behind a new smartphone app that lets teens – or anyone, actually – exchange STD statuses by “bumping” phones. (Ready your “bump before you hump,” “bump before you grind,” and “bump phones before you bump uglies” jokes now.) The doctor behind MedXSafe, who calls it “safe bumping,” says the app is perfect for use at a bar or frat party and promotes STD testing and discussions. Of course, other experts warn it could promote a false sense of security. “Does it come with a condom?” quipped one. A condom-dispensing smartphone app? Developers, hop on it.

It’s called ‘safe bumping,’” said Dr. Michael Nusbaum, the New Jersey developer of MedXSafe, a feature of the new app called MedXCom. “If you happen to be out at a bar or a fraternity house or wherever, and you meet someone, you can then bump phones and exchange contact information and STD status.”

The app’s special feature, according to Nussbaum, encourages dating singles to go to the doctor for regular STD checks. Those who screen negative can ask their doctors to document their STD-free status on the app, allowing users to share the information with whomever they choose.

An alarming 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year, and rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea are on the rise, according to a new report released this month by the CDC. More than 1.4 million chlamydia infections were reported in 2011, up 8 percent from the previous year. Cases of gonorrhea were up by 4 percent, marking the second consecutive year of increases.

There is one problem. Who would register if they have an STD?