Houston, Texas-based Baylor Teen Health Clinic recently tapped Saviance Healthcare to develop an app, called Hi52hlth ("high five to health"), that is intended to help local teens find local clinics and practitioners as well as to more easily get educational information about sexually transmitted infections, birth control, and parenting. The free app is now available for both iOS and Android users. It was made possible thanks to a grant from pharma company Gilead Sciences.

“Today’s young people are at an advantage, because information is readily available with the use of smartphones,” Ruth Buzi, director of social services at the Baylor Teen Health Clinic and associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine said in a statement. “However, many teens have trouble finding accurate health information, especially when it concerns sexual health. Using today’s technology is a way to reach these tech savvy teens and provide them with accurate and useful health information.”

While the app offers health information and resources beyond sexual health, including dental care provider search, for example, the app has a strong focus on sexual health and HIV prevention and education, especially.

“When we diagnose a young person with HIV, it’s important to link them to care that is accessible and affordable so that they stay in care and on antiretroviral medication,” Buzi said in the statement. “Unfortunately, we see a lot of young people delay or drop out of care, and that puts their health at risk.”