As mobile social networks like Grindr, Scruff, and Tinder continue to grow in popularity, the developers behind the apps race to add new features to entice users to their services. Hornet, a San Francisco-based relative newcomer to the game, is banking on a commitment to public health in order to expand its userbase. Typically used to help gay men find one another using their phones' geo-location functionality, Hornet can now also assist its users in locating nearby HIV clinics.
Incorporating a locator tool developed by AIDS.gov, Hornet's app will display the 10 closest clinics that administer HIV screening and counseling. Additionally, Hornet's profile creator will emphasize the importance of knowing one's status. Along with height, weight, and eye color, Hornet will provide users with the ability to designate their HIV status, as a part of its “Know Your Status” campaign. Once a user designates the date of their last HIV test, the application will automatically remind them to get tested again after a designated amount of time.