A Nigerian tech startup is helping people to have safe sex

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Slide Safe is a public health innovation which will help drive increase of screening of STIs and safe sex among sexually active people in Nigeria.

A new tech startup in Nigeria, Slide Safe, has launched an on-demand service to enhance safe sex in the country.

In Nigeria, discussing sex or providing related services is considered unethical and taboo. Activities such as testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or purchasing sex materials are met with disapproval by many people. Therefore, accounting for a high incidence of STDs cases in the country.

Moving against this trend, Florida Uzoaru and two other co-founders (Precious Onuobia and Janet Nwaoshai) launched Slide Safe to discretely deliver STDs test kits and sex products – including condoms and lubricants.

She stated that the move is to increase the sexual consciousness around safe sex and making the test for STDs a frequent practice in the country.

“The market demand for the test kit is very high,” says Uzoaru.

“The initial name of the company was ‘Sex In A Box’ but it made the customers uncomfortable, so we changed it to Slide Safe as people want it to be discrete.”

As at 2016, there are 3.2 million people living with HIV virus in Nigeria. Also, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa account for the largest incidence of HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa.

Precious during a demo practice of Slide Safe at Co-creation Hub NigeriaPrecious during a demo practice of Slide Safe at Co-creation Hub Nigeria (CCHUB)

The anonymity of customer is the main selling proposition of the company. As such willing adult only needs to send SMS shortcode to the company and it would be delivered discretely.

Uzoaru noted that “packaging and delivery are as anonymous as possible. It’s crucial we do that.”

Since its launch in January 2017, Slide Safe has sold more than 600 boxes which cost between $5 (N2000) and $18.75 (N7500).

CULLED FROM: http://www.pulse.ng/bi/tech/slide-safe-a-nigerian-tech-startup-is-helping-people-to-have-safe-sex-id7411131.html