Text messaging is increasingly being used to send health-related information to patients' cell phones. The tactic is being employed to remind British women to take their birth control pills and to encourage Australian AIDS patients to stick to their drug regimens.

Rising gonorrhea rates among young African Americans last year prompted the San Francisco Health Department to start a texting service called SexInfo. Ads in public transit venues encourage callers to text the department for answers to common questions. More than 4,500 inquiries were received in the first 25 weeks the service was offered, and more than half of those prompted follow-up questions and referrals to clinics. The top three messages accessed were: "what 2 do if ur condom broke," "2 find out about STDs" and "if u think ur pregnant."

Most text-based programs do not cost users anything above their cell phone plan's normal text message charges. The only information usually needed to take part is the number to text and the unique access message. Metro PCS customers, for instance, can access the San Francisco program by texting SEXINFO to 917-957-4280. Customers of other providers can text another number.

Health texting is a new phenomenon in the United States, and the American Telemedicine Association is developing guidelines for its proper use, according to Executive Director Jonathan Linkous. "There are obviously times when telemedicine is inappropriate. Texting someone to tell them they have cancer is one of them," he said.

And while some services targeting adolescents deliberately use the truncated text-speak, or "txtspk," familiar to younger users, others avoid this in favor of short messages in plain English.

Back to other news for December 2007

Search the Newsroom archive