HIV/AIDS Basics: A New App for iPad

Editor's Note: Since this post was published, the HIV/AIDS Basics app has been made available for Android devices. Download it in the Google Play StoreExit Disclaimer .If you've visited HIV.gov before, you're likely familiar with the array of HIV/AIDS content found on the site. Time and time again, our analytics and usability testing tell us that the HIV basics pages has reported on the rise of mobile use in the U.S., finding that 63% of American adult cell phone owners use their phones to go onlineExit Disclaimer (as of May 2013) and 42% own a tablet deviceExit Disclaimer (as of January 2014).

That's why, over the past few years, we've focused on optimizing HIV.gov for mobile devices (including smartphones and tablets) with responsive design (if you haven’t already, type www.aids.gov.

This app features the same trusted content you’ll find on HIV.gov, but with one major change - a “flipboard” style interface that takes advantage of the iPad’s touchscreen (Flipboard is a magazine-style app where you can “flip” through news feeds on topics of your choice). In the HIV/AIDS Basics app, you can flip through pages to see categories and topics, tap a topic tile to see more choices or read an article, and use the in-page controls to take notes and share. You can also bookmark your favorite pages and make highlights in the app.We asked Bisola Ojikutu, HIV Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Senior Consultant at JSI, about her thoughts on the HIV/AIDS Basics app. She told us: "As a health care provider, I think this app could make a great contribution to the dissemination and accessibility of HIV/AIDS information. Having this important information available in an easy-to-read interface can not only increase knowledge and access to care, but it can also prompt the conversation between provider and patient on important health topics."

The content you’ll find is organized in the same way as HIV.gov, including articles within the categories of HIV/AIDS 101, Prevention, Just Diagnosed, and Staying Healthy. We hope that if you’re a health professional, someone living with HIV, or someone just looking to learn, you’ll enjoy using the app. Please download itExit Disclaimer , try it out, and tell us what you think in the comments section below.