Seriously, Explain!
Sex Ed? Now there’s an app for that.
Karina Ngaiza
Mobile Health Design
July, 10 2014
Executive Summary
While comprehensive sex education for young adults has been effective at reducing sexually
transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies, few relevant, interactive, and appropriate
resources are available to this age group. The goal of this paper is to provide an explanation as to
why such an app is needed, as well as to provide an overview of Seriously, Explain!, a sexual
health app that will serve as a tool and much needed resource for young adults between the ages
of 12-22. The app will provide relevant sexual health information to young people who: are
uncomfortable discussing the subject matter, or are not getting the proper sex education they
need to lead a healthy and ultimately, happy life.
Background
The importance of sexual education falls under the umbrella of a public health issue, yet, there
are still states that continue to ignore the implications that a lack of a comprehensive sexual
health education can and will have on our nation. A certain number of states prefer to teach
abstinence only education and young people are encouraged to pledge their virginity. Virginity
pledges are promises to abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage and have become popular
courses of action for sex education programs across America (Alford, 2007). Unfortunately,
studies show that graduates of abstinence only programs are just as likely as graduates of
comprehensive sexual health programs to have sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and are in
fact less likely to use contraception if they do become sexually active (SIECUS, 2013).
There are 20 million new STD infections a year and half of those at risk are between the ages of
15 and 24 (CDC, 2013). While most of these infections will not cause any long term harm, some
do have the potential to have a severe impact on one’s health, especially if not diagnosed or
treated early enough. Not only do STDs have an impact on an individual’s health, but in fact,
they also place a significant economic burden on the American healthcare system, costing 16
billion dollars a year in medical costs (CDC, 2013).
A report released by the Guttmacher Institute in May of 2014 has shown that there has been a
decline in teen pregnancy rates amongst all racial and ethnic groups in the Unites States in the
past decade (Wind, 2014).This decline can be attributed largely to the efforts of groups that have
ensured teens can access the information and contraceptive services they need. This decline in
teen birth rates is promising and can only continue with a proper comprehensive sex education.
Mobile health apps have a lot of potential to transform the way in which young adults learn
valuable information. The vast majority of apps on the market today are targeted at young
people, and rightfully so. The latest data shows that 70% of 13-17 year olds and 80% of 18-34
year olds use smartphones regularly (Kerr, 2013). Although this is the case, there is still a need
for an all-encompassing sexual education application for this particular demographic.
Needs Assessment
The target audience for the app Seriously, Explain! will be young people from the ages of 12-22
years old. The first age group, the 12-16 year olds, can benefit greatly from this app as these are
the years in which people undergo puberty, and start forming ideas about the world that will
carry on into adult years. The second group, the 17- 22 year olds are considered adults in
American society, but still may not be equipped with the knowledge they need to live healthy sex
lives. The secondary audience consists of parents and guardians, school counselors, and health
care workers such as doctors and nurses. For the purposes of this app, especially since a large
portion of the target population is rather young, the best way to find out their needs will be to
conduct focus groups. We will need to discover among many other things, what is their favorite
app and why?
Personas
Personas are fictional characters that represent real people in the target audience. Personas are
essential for the purposes of app development because they give us an idea of what a potential
user would look like and need from an app.
Rachel, 13
Rachel is a 13 year old girl in the 7th grade. She excels academically, plays piano, and loves
playing pickup soccer with the local kids in her neighborhood after school. She has two best
friends, Layla and Tina who she’s known since they started kindergarten together. The three of
them have sleepovers so regularly that Rachel’s mom is always finding Layla’s and Tina’s
forgotten clothes around the house. Rachel feels lucky to have such good friends, especially
since she’s an only child and her mom is a single parent, meaning she’s left alone quite
frequently. Like many kids in her grade, Rachel is attached to her smartphone, a Samsung
Galaxy, texting, and using apps like Snapchat and Instagram, as well as games like the new Kim
Kardashian Hollywood experience. Rachel also has a Tumblr blog that she updates with funny
images and gifs and instead of television, watches a lot of YouTube videos where she gets advice
on how to: create the ultimate messy bun, and watches video bloggers make fools of themselves
by competing in challenges. Most of the video bloggers she watches are girls in their late teens
and early 20s and in a way she looks up to them, especially since she doesn’t have any siblings.
This year, her school started teaching sexual education, a topic that intrigues Rachel but she
never asks questions in class for fear of embarrassing herself.
Day in the Life of Rachel
Rachel wakes up at 7:00 am for school, checking her cell phone immediately for any new
Snapchats Layla or Tina may have sent her. She showers and changes and heads to the kitchen to
eat breakfast with her mom, Rose. By 8:00 am Rachel and her Rose are out of the door, her mom
dropping Rachel off at school on the way to work. Between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm, she’s in
school, taking English, Algebra, PE, Health Class and Art. After school, Rachel takes the bus
home with Tina and Layla. She lets herself in the house and they eat a bowl of Frosted Flakes
cereal before diving into their homework. When they’re done with their homework, they watch
YouTube videos.
They hear Ingrid, a popular video blogger talking about the app Seriously, Explain! Rachel
downloads the app and Layla and Tina do the same. They figure it out quite easily and are
intrigued. At 6pm Rose comes home from work and Tina and Layla walk the couple of blocks
back to their respective homes. Today they heat up leftovers for dinner and her mom doesn’t
allow for cell phone use at the table so that they can at least have a proper conversation like they
used to do “back in the good old 90s”, her mother likes to say. Rachel always rolls her eyes but
laughs because apart from Tina and Layla, her mother is her best friend. At 8pm Rachel finishes
any remaining homework, not before helping her mom clean up the kitchen. She always winds
up on her phone before going to bed, texting and playing games; this time she’s on Seriously,
Explain! submitting a question she was too afraid to ask during their sex ed lecture in health
class. At around 11 Rose knocks on Rachel’s door and warns her that she’s not above taking
away her phone, so Rachel sets the alarm, puts it on her dresser and turns off the light.
Ben, 33
Ben is 33 years old, a counselor at a public high school. For fun, Ben participates in kickboxing
where he met his partner Jordan two years ago. They now live together and share ownership of a
large golden retriever. Ben is very close to his parents and younger sisters, despite all of them
being spread out across the country. He visits them as often as he is able and attributes their close
bond to having come out and being accepted 100%, while people he knows, including Jordan,
were not as fortunate to have been accepted by their families. As a counselor, Ben hears a lot of
stories of relationship issues, family struggles, and identity questions from his students and really
wishes he could do more for them. Recently, he’s been teaching an after school class in selfdefense, which he loves. Ben is an avid user of technology, he owns an iPad, a MacBook, and is
looking for a way to get his hands on a pair of Google Glass.
Day in the Life of Ben
At 6:00 am Ben and Jordan take their golden retriever for a walk around the block. They step
into their local coffee shop to pick up a couple of lattes and breakfast sandwiches. They get ready
for work and, head off in opposite directions. By 7:30 am Ben is in his office, responding to
emails. At 9:00 am Ben and his colleagues have a meeting about the recent STD outbreak at the
high school. The health teacher mentions Seriously, Explain! and Ben quickly downloads the app
and they all get a rundown on what the app is and what it does. Ben promises to share this
information with his students. By 10 am Ben is meeting with students, one on one, a couple even
mentioning how they aren’t prepared to die at such a young age after contracting Syphilis.
Ben isn’t a sexual health educator so he can’t exactly teach them proper sexual health education,
but shakes his head no, assuring them that they will not die from syphilis and excitedly tells them
about Seriously, Explain! He encourages his students to download it while they are in the office
with him. By 3pm he is exhausted but feels reenergized when he walks into the gym and begins
teaching self-defense. At 5pm he returns home, cooks dinner and goes for a run. At 6:30 pm he
and Jordan eat while watching reruns of Seinfeld. That evening, Ben Skype’s with his sisters and
even gets a chance to say hi to his new nephew. Before he knows it, it’s 9:30 pm. He checks his
email on his iPad and reads a few of the breaking news items, one of them being the STD
outbreak at the high school. He takes the time to comment on the story, posting a link to
Seriously, Explain! in the app store before calling it a night.
Marie, 45
Marie is a 45 year old, local artist, her work focuses mostly on ceramics, but she dabbles in a bit
of oil painting as well. She divorced her college sweetheart, 5 years ago but has since gotten
remarried to a wonderful man, an architect with a 15 year old daughter named Alice from a
previous marriage. Marie has a 20 year old son, from her first marriage who is in his second year
of college. She is very grateful that both of her kids (and she considers them to both be her
children) get along so well. She is very open with her kids about everything, and always
encourages them to come to her with anything. Alice tends to be more reserved and keeps things
to herself, unlike Alex. During her free time, Marie enjoys yoga and reading. She owns an
android and a desktop computer, a PC. She usually hears about the latest in technology from her
kids who, in her opinion spend way too much time on their computers and phones and not nearly
enough time outdoors. Recently, she’s been reading about all of these rape cases that have been
cropping up across so many college campuses. She knows that her son is a good kid but she does
think that kids his age still need to learn more about healthy sex behaviors.
Day in the Life of Marie
Marie wakes up around 7:30 am as Alice is heading out the door for school. She makes a bowl of
oatmeal and some tea and sits at her computer and reads the college newsletter, which is
designed to keep parents informed about the latest events around campus. She comes across a
small piece dedicated to an app called Seriously, Explain! Fascinated, she writes down a few
bullet points about it on a sticky pad on her desk. At around 8:30 am she gets showered and
changed and heads to the backyard shed which has been converted into a studio. She works on
her latest piece until noon, before taking a break and making some lunch. After lunch she heads
into town to run a few errands. At 2:00 pm she heads back to her studio to continue her project.
At 4:00 pm she heads into the house to find Alice already back from school.
Marie and Alice change into yoga attire since everyday at 5 they go to yoga together, a one-time
event that is slowly becoming Marie’s favorite weekly trend. By 6:30 pm Marie and Alice are
back from yoga, Michael home with Chinese takeout. All three of them eat dinner together. After
dinner Marie calls Alex to see how he’s doing, telling him about Seriously, Explain! and
encourages him to check it out. At 8pm all 3 of them watch a TV show. At 9:00 pm Marie heads
upstairs to continue the latest novel she’s been reading. She remembers the sticky with the bullet
points about Seriously, Explain! from this morning, grabs it from her desk, and leaves it on
Alice’s bed. By 10:00 pm everyone heads to bed.
David, 19
David is the only child of two Chinese immigrants. He was always the “good kid” in school,
never got into trouble and worked weekends at his parent’s restaurant, missing out on an active
high school social life, yet his parents were still hard on him. Anything less than an A was seen
as a disgrace and any free time he had was to be spent with his family, not friends. They opted
for him not to learn sex ed with the rest of his classmates, so during that period he was left to his
own devices in the library. “You need to study more!” his Dad had said at the time when he
questioned it, but David figured it must be because they were so conservative.
Despite this, over the years David has developed a love of video games and a passion for hip hop
music. Now that he’s in college, he feels the need to make up for lost time, partying every
weekend, and socializing out with friends any free time he gets. He still does get good grades
though because although he resents the way he was raised, he wants to make his parents
proud. David owns an iPhone and a MacBook air as well as any gaming console he can get for
cheap on eBay. He’s very much a “gamer” and is active on sites like Reddit, and YouTube where
gamers discuss cheat codes and people make videos about the best games on the market.
Day in the life of David
David wakes up at 8:00 am to get ready for his first class. At 8:30 am he swings by the cafeteria,
grabs a bagel and a coffee and heads to class. At noon he finally gets a break and meets up with
his friends Georgia and Charles, the first people he met during freshman orientation. They all
share a mutual disdain for their RA and contemplate becoming RAs next year just so they can
prove that the job is really not all that difficult. At 2:00 pm David heads to his last class for the
day. He meets up with Charles and their other friend Luke after it’s over for some homework
time and a few hours of video games. By 6:00 pm they’re still playing, so they order pizza
instead of going to the cafe. His parents would be so proud, David thinks to himself. At 8:30 pm,
they decide to head down to the underground- a popular hangout/study spot. David actually gets
a decent amount of homework done, but decides to go on Reddit at one point where he discovers
a post about Seriously, Explain! When he gets back to his room, while lying in bed, he
downloads the app and gets sucked into it for about an hour before drifting off to sleep.
Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis is essentially a way to assess the positives and negatives of similar,
competing apps on the market. The goal of the competitive analysis is to identify the
competitors, and figure out what ideas have worked well for them that you could potentially
borrow, and what ideas have not worked well for them that you would like to avoid. The
competitive analysis should also help guide you in discovering how best to distinguish yourself
from the competition.
After a basic Google search for sexual health apps, it was discovered that not surprisingly, sex
education apps are not as common as other types of health apps: fitness, nutrition, etc. To give
you an idea, after typing “sex education” into the search bar in the iPhone app store, 61 results
showed up, as opposed to searching the word “fitness” which came up with 2,199 results.
Another search was conducted for Android; “sex education” yielded just 16 results while
“fitness” came up with over 1,000 results. After a lengthy search, the three best sexual
health/education apps that were most relevant were outlined out below.
1. Birdees
2. SexPositive
3. Hula
App or device
name, logo, url
1
2
3
Birdees
SexPositive
Hula
Birdeesapp.com
http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu/
home/sexpositive
hulahq.com
Objective at a
glance
What is the
objective,
problem, or
challenge the
app or device
seems to be
addressing?
This app is for
parents/caregivers of
children between the
ages of 2 and 8 years
old. This app was
designed to teach
parents the proper
way to discuss sexual
health with their kids.
Offers “Shame free”
sex education for
college aged
individuals
Allows users to
easily access sexual
health services
before engaging in
sex with a new
person. Hula directs
people to the nearest
health clinics where
they can get tested,
collects all the results
in one place, and
interprets health
jargon into plain
English
Purpose and
Goals
How clear are
the purpose and
goals of the app
or device at a
glance from
name, tagline,
and imagery?
Does it match
the objective at
a glance?
Tagline: “it’s more
than the birds and the
bees” To me, this
clearly means that the
app is focused on
Tagline: “A shame free
sex education
smartphone app from
the University of
Oregon Health Center”
Honestly, it says it all
in the tagline alone. It
won’t even be
necessary to read the
description!
Tagline: “Healthcare
made beautiful.” It’s
not the best tagline
as it doesn’t really
nature of the app.
The app could be
vaccinations or even
fitness, it doesn’t
make much
sense. The name
Hula is definitely
NOT ideal as Hula is
a dance from the
Hawaiian people. It
is culturally
insensitive, using a
name that is very
much a part of a
specific culture,
sacred to many.
Using it for the
something related to
sex, and most likely
targeted at children.
purposes of a sex app
just seems wrong.
Note: the original
tagline (which has
been removed): “it
helps you get lei’d”
Users
Is there any
information
about users
through
descriptions,
images, stories,
testimonials, or
usage data?
Not easily accessible.
It is only available for
iPad and doesn’t have
testimonials in the app
store, but there are 5
in amazon, all of them
excellent
The users are those
from the University of
Oregon, which you can
see by the tagline. 1822 year olds, primarily
in the app store,
explicitly states that
user must be at least
17 years of age to
use the app. One
reviewer is a public
health candidate,
many are hawaiians
offended by the
name
Ratings and reviews
What are the ratings,
reviews, and feedback?
5 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars
2 out of 5 stars
Downloads and use
How many
users/downloads are
there? Is there data
about retention?
Has been removed
from the App store
so not certain. No
info regarding
retention.
16,500 downloads Total of 106
No info regarding ratings No info
retention.
regarding retention.
Research
Was there any research,
evidence-based
guidelines, or experts
involved?
Experts were
involved- sexual
health experts with
their bios on the
website. “marries
expert opinion with
current scientific
literature”
written and
produced by sexpositive experts at
the University of
Oregon including
the faculty in the
dept. of
Physiology,
LGBT support
Expert advisory
team from the
Gates foundation,
Bedsider, and
Google Health
services, and the
dept. of Biology
Design
How professional or
attractive is the design?
Very attractive
design, colors that
would grab the
attention of children,
paired with cartoons,
yet avoids being too
busy or childish
looking, simple
layout and navigation
Forrest green
color paired with
yellow- not the
most attractive
colors. Simple
design, a spinning
wheel on the
home page
engages the user
from the first time
they open up the
app
Very attractive
design,
professional, clean,
everything flows
beautifully
Layout and navigation
(for an app)
What sections does the
app have and are they
delineated by content
type, roles, or user
needs? How usable and
organized are the layout
and navigation
(including labels and
menus)? Do they make
options apparent?
Easier to navigate
after reading
instructions, it’s not
necessarily
that intuitive but
once instructions are
read, it’s simple
Menus clearly
defined- clean
layout
Crisp, easy layout.
Sign up, find the
test center, access
your results
privately, share
results with a
partner ( if you
would like) it is
really that simple
Branding and external
affiliations
Who created the app or
device and why? Is
there organizational
branding, accreditation,
sponsorship, or
advertising?
Created by GoTo
Educational
Technologies. GoTo
is a company
committed to the
development of
interactive
educational tools and
resources to support
and promote health,
respect and safety for
children, parents and
educators
Created by the
University of
Oregon,
specifically the
University of
Oregon’s Health
Center because
they saw a need
for students to be
able to have
access to
judgment free sex
info round the
clock
Ramin Bastani, a
pretty regular guy
created the app
after being slapped
in the face after
asking a woman he
was seeing if she
had been tested. He
figured that there
must be a better
way to ask the
question
Expert content
What are the expertgenerated components,
if any, available
(including text,
graphics, audio, video,
blogs, directions, ask
the expert, glossary,
quiz, chat with an
expert)? Does expert
content identify the
author and date written
and reviewed?
Text, audio,
Videos, text,
every part of the
app has been
developed by a
health expert
Expert generated
components are
done behind the
scenes, nothing is
explicitly stated
Oversight
Is there an
advisory board
or clinician
involvement?
Yes, please see
above
Yes, please see above
Yes, please see
above
Literacy and
readability
Is the content in
the app clear
and easy to
understand?
What about any
descriptions or
instructions for
an app or
device?
Yes, the content is
very clear to
understand,
especially the
sections meant for
children
The content has been
developed so that a
college aged individual
can comprehend it all
Everything is easy
to understand,
nothing too
complex
User-generated
content and
sharing
What are the
user-generated
components
(including
discussion
forums, blogs,
videos, “likes”,
comments,
ratings, and
reviews)?
There is a Facebook
page for the Birdees
app that allows for
discussion
There is a University of
Oregon Health
Center YouTube page
that allows for comments
underneath the videos but
nothing directly in the app
There is a Hula
Facebook page as
well as an
interactive portion
of the app that
allows the user to
share test results
with a partner who
also has the app
Which, if any,
social media is
used?
Policies
Are there
explicit privacy
policies or ones
for how
information is
used at
registration?
Birdees app is
focused primarily on
education, private
info isn’t requested
and it doesn’t seem
like a privacy policy
is explicitly stated
Because of the nature of
the content there is a
policy that one must agree
to before starting the app.
No information is stored
or shared
The purpose of
Hula is to share
information but it
explicitly asks you
and makes sure it’s
done securely and
only shared with
those you allow it
to: “Any Personal
Information
provided by you or
your health care
provider(s) or
testing service(s)
will not be shared
via the Service
unless you choose
to do so”
Registration
Do users register
and, if so, what
can they do
before and after
registering?
What
information is
tracked or
displayed? How
is personal
information
used?
You “register” by
selecting a “birdee”
which is a
character/cartoon
which is meant to
represent your child
No registration required,
although you can select
from either University of
Oregon or University of
Colorado Boulder
Yes, users register
and the health
center where you
get your STD
testing done has
access to the app so
that your provider
can submit your
results directly to
you
Cost
Is there a cost
for the app or
device? Are
there premier
features?
Free
Free
Free
Devices and
websites
No
The app is not connected
to any social media sites
Hula allows you to
connect with
Does the app or
device tie into
any others apps,
devices, social
media, or
websites?
Support and
feedback
Is there a
website or
support forum
for users? Is
there a way to
provide
feedback? Is
there a feedback
survey?
There is a
birdeesapp
Facebook page,
where users can post
comments. There is
also an email
address posted on
the YouTube page,
that allows one to
email “constructive
feedback”
Overall
assessment
What are the
overall best and
Pros
but can take you to the
University of Oregon’s
health center website
someone else who
has the app. They
can communicate
with each other
The iTunes store and
Google play stores are
where people post
feedback of the app
The feedback has
primarily been
submitted through
the review section
in the app store. It
does seem that they
listen to feedback
because they posted
this statement on
their Facebook page
on May 6th: “We
recently learned that
Native Hawaiians
had concerns with
our name, Hula. We
immediately
engaged the
community and
listened with an
open mind. By
doing so, we gained
a great respect for
hula, the Hawaiian
culture and its
history. For those
that were offended
by the name, we
sincerely apologize
- that was never our
intent. We promise
to change the name
in the very near
future.”
Pros
-spinning wheel on home
screen keeps user
interested, makes it looks
Pros
-very aesthetically
pleasing design
worst features of -Perfectly geared
the app or
toward target age
device?
group
like a “game” although it
is not
-developed for a
-Fun colors and
particular community
awards that keeps
essentially by the
audience (kids)
community which gives
us reason to believe that
engaged
the app includes
-heavily based in
everything the target
scientific research as audience could want
well as expert
-offers LGBTQ
opinion
information
-great reviews
-available for both iPhone
Cons
and Android
- was taken down
from the app store
with no explanation
as to why
-a lot of information
so although easy to
navigate, may take
some adjustments
-no clear way of
offering feedback
Cons
-color scheme is not
aesthetically pleasing
-very text heavy which
could get dull after awhile
and would not encourage
the user to come back and
use it again
-although it can be used
by 18-22 year olds across
the country, it is targeted
at students who attend the
2 universities listed
-interactive
component
-easy to use
-Hula developers
actually see their
feedback and
incorporate it into
the future of the app
(backlash of naming
the app Hula)
-lists LGBTQ
specific clinics
Cons
-the name Hula
offended so many
people and so now
the ratings are so
low that many
people may avoid
even checking it out
-it doesn’t educate
you on safe sex
practices, just gives
you info on where
to find the nearest
health center
This competitive analysis made it clear as to what was done well amongst competing apps. A
layout that is easy to use, with a crisp and visually appealing design will be important. An
interactive element which keeps users engaged as well as a tagline that is catchy yet informative.
User feedback is essential and should be reviewed as often as possible. Involving information on
the LGBTQ community will be important and should be compiled by an expert advisory panel
that is not only knowledgeable but culturally sensitive to avoid the potential for backlash.
Seriously, Explain! will distinguish itself from sex ed apps on the market by targeting not only
those of college age, but teenagers as well. Additionally, since none of the competing apps
included interaction with other users beyond the sharing of STD results, Seriously, Explain! will
incorporate elements of gaming with the ability to go head to head with other users.
Description of App Design
Seriously, Explain! will be developed around the idea that young people need access to
all inclusive, comprehensive sexual health education in order for them to make well informed
decisions about their sex lives. The app will comply with evidence-based guidelines, because it
has been proven, in not just one, but several studies that young people who are taught about
sexual health, are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease, less likely to become a
teen parent, and more likely to sustain healthy romantic partnerships. And although there has
been a decline in the rate of teen pregnancies, there is still work that needs to be done in
educating teenagers because there are still a significant amount of teens who get pregnant each
year. STD rates are highest amongst this demographic, and LGBTQ youth are very much
excluded from the sexual health conversation. Seriously, Explain! hopes to change that.
All four persona narratives provide an idea as to how many different types of people will
be utilizing the app. From the primary audience, Rachel and David are both essential to the
development of Seriously, Explain!, yet both are from two completely different worlds. Both
Rachel and David would like to gain a better understanding about sex matters yet, for different
reasons are not able, or willing to ask anyone. Although Rachel has had sex ed in school, she still
has many questions surrounding the class discussions. David needs to fill in the gaps of
knowledge he has been left with as a result of being opted out of sex ed by his conservative
parents. It is important to note that not all users will be like Rachel and David, discovering the
app on their own. This is why the personas Marie and Ben, the secondary audiences, are so
essential to its success. Marie is a parent of the key demographic and would share Seriously,
Explain! with her children. A lot of young people are not fortunate enough to have an open
minded parent like Marie which is why the persona of Ben is also crucial. A tech savvy school
counselor, he is trained in providing guidance and is a perfect example of an educator who will
encourage his students to download the app. Additionally, Ben is representative of an adult who
is part of the LGBTQ community who would gladly offer support to LGBTQ youth.
Incorporating theory is essential in the app development process. The Health Belief Model says
that there are six constructs that will influence whether or not a person will take action on a
certain health behavior. Those constructs are: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity,
perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and ultimately self- efficacy or confidence
in sustaining said behavior. Because a large portion of the target audience is so young, the
secondary audiences are the people who will need to see the severity a lack of sex education can
have, they will be the ones who will be able to see the benefits of a comprehensive sex
application.
A second theory that will be useful in the development process of Seriously, Explain! is
incorporating Social Support Theory, which says that social exchanges influence behavior. The
four social exchanges are: Emotional, Instrumental, Informational, and Appraisal. These
exchanges will help influence the behaviors of the primary audience but the secondary audience
is once again key.
Seriously, Explain! will be targeted at 12-22 year olds, broken down into two separate
age categories: 12-16 and 17-22. It will cover four major topics: STDS, contraception, anatomy,
and healthy relationships. Each major category will then be broken down into subcategories. The
home screen will allow the user to “spin” a wheel to decide what topic to take a look at. Once the
outer wheel is spun and one of the four major categories has been selected, the inner wheel will
then be spun. For example, the user may land on STDs, and once they spin the inner wheel, they
could land on syphilis or HPV. The user will not be limited to the wheel, however. A pop up will
ask if you want to take a spin, and should you say yes, the wheel will appear. If the user would
rather not spin, there will be a menu with all four categories, a game center, a section called:
“Seriously, Explain!” where the user can ask a question, and get a response within 48 hours from
a sexual health expert and a FAQ and submit feedback section.
After each section you will have the option to quiz yourself, or “challenge a friend”. A
fun fact of the day will pop up on the user’s phone, but will not go into detail until the user
double taps on it to insure privacy. This daily pop up will serve as a way to get the user to use the
app more frequently, and overcome that initial barrier of using the app regularly. For the older
age group, the main difference will be that there will be an ability to sync the app with a local
health center and get STD results sent directly to their phone. They will then be able to share the
results with an individual who also may have the app.
As with most apps, the design and layout of Seriously, Explain! will play an important
part in getting the user to download it initially, and to want to come back.
Evaluation
The evaluation process will rely on mobile usability testing which is used in user-centered
interaction design to evaluate a product by testing it on users. The user will be able to experience
just how the app will work. The purpose is to determine if there is anything that should be
tweaked before rolling the app out onto the market. We will send out emails to parents with
children between 12-16 years old and emails to college campuses requesting feedback for a new
sexual health app. The goal will be to compile feedback from the two age groups on design,
functionality, and why or why not they would use it. The initial testing phase will be conducted
after the initial development of the app. The developer, design team, and sexual health education
experts will meet at each phase of testing to perfect the app. Once we have gotten feedback, and
evaluated the criticisms and praises of the design, and made any necessary edits, a second testing
phase will take place. Once again, any feedback will be used to perfect the second version of the
app.
Development
Seriously, Explain! will be available for both iPhone and Android. The expected
development costs of this app from initial stages, to the release of the final version will be up to
$160,000. We do not want to charge anything to download the app, or place advertisements on
the app either, so we will be applying for a grant from the Ford Foundation. The Ford
Foundation’s mission is to: promote collaboration among the nonprofit, government and business
sectors; and to ensure participation by men and women from diverse communities and all levels
of society. Such activities help build common understanding, enhance excellence, enable people
to improve their lives and reinforce their commitment to society. In past years, the Ford
Foundation has given large grants to Advocates for Youth. We believe that Ford would be eager
to support the development of such a revolutionary app that will offer support to so many young
people. Gathering a team of sexual health experts, writing up educational materials that will be
suitable for both the 12-16 year old and 17-22 year old learning styles will take some time. We
expect to launch the first version of the app in December of 2015. The final version will be
released in August 2016, just in time for the start of the school year
Marketing Plan
Unlike any of its competitors, Seriously, Explain! will be developed in collaboration
with Advocates for Youth, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to help young people
make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. By working
with Advocates for Youth, a leader in the sexual health field, Seriously, Explain! will not only be
able to provide accurate information based in research, but it will also be able to reach youth
across the country. One reason it can do that is the “Let’s Talk About Sex” campaign that was
launched in 2011. Also the title of Advocates for Youth’s fascinating documentary about teens
and sex in America, the “Let’s Talk About Sex” campaign, travels from city to city hosting
watch parties. These watch parties could encourage viewers to download the app after the film.
The app will also be promoted heavily across college campuses, ideally during orientation when
discussions about sex and healthy relationships are happening. Partnering with Advocates for
Youth would give a lot of credibility to the app, which would be very important to the secondary
audience.
Because of the challenging aspects of promoting an app that is about sex, a taboo subject for
many, promotion will also rely on “underground” networks of sorts via social media platforms
YouTube and Reddit. In many ways, YouTube has become the new television for teenagers.
Reaching out to popular video bloggers that can discuss the app and encourage their viewers
(who are the target demographic) to download it will help in getting the word out there. A
Seriously, Explain! forum will also be started on Reddit and monitored by the Advocates for
Youth advisory panel. The app will also go the traditional route of being placed in the iPhone
and Android app stores under the key search terms: “sex ed” “sex education” and “sexual
health”. The goal is to make the app free to download.
Limitations
As is the case with any mobile health app, there are a few limitations, the major one for
Seriously, Explain! being cultural barriers. As referenced in the background section of this paper,
many states still teach abstinence only sex education. Some young people are removed from sex
education classes entirely by their parents, as demonstrated by persona David who is based off of
a real person. There will be people who do not want their children using an app like Seriously,
Explain! yet there will still be a large percentage of parents and educators who encourage its use
and praise its existence.
Another limitation will be tailoring the app perfectly for each age group. Seriously, Explain! has
the potential to be a very well respected useful tool but if it is not done properly, it has the
potential to be seen as either too juvenile or too complex for the audience. Enlisting experts who
have experience creating educational materials for each age group will help to avoid this
limitation.
About the Author
Karina Ngaiza is a Health Communication student at Emerson College. She is passionate about
women’s health, particularly maternal, reproductive, and sexual health. Before moving to Boston
from DC for grad school, she worked for the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists, a non-profit organization advocating for the highest standards of practice for
women’s health care. She received her undergraduate degree in Communication and a minor in
Creative Writing from Mary Baldwin College. In her free time, Karina enjoys writing short
stories, discovering new music, and exploring Boston.
References
Alford, S. (2007). Abstinence only until marriage programs: ineffective, unethical, and poor
public health. Retrieved from http://advocatesforyouth.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). STI Incidence, Prevalence, and Cost of
Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States. Retrieved from http:// www.cdc.gov/std.
Kerr, D. (2013, October 29). Smartphones commandeer 70 percent of teen market. [online
article]. Retrieved from http://www.cnet.com
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (2013). Abstinence Only Until
Marriage Programs. Retrieved from http://www.siecus.og
Wind, R. (2014, May 5). U.S. teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates reach historic lows.
[online article]. Retrieved from https://guttmacher.org