Grindr is helping reduce the stigma around regularly getting tested in a few different ways on the app, but one of the most impactful has been a feature that lets users order HIV self-test kits right through the app. Through a partnership with the program Together TakeMeHome, Grindr has reached the milestone of helping distribute over 1 million kits with nearly half of the testing kits ordered through the app's link.One in four of the orders were from first-time testers, According to Mohan Sundararaj, Grindr for Equality's managing director. And at the end of September, Together TakeMeHome received funding that allows another 360,000 free HIV tests to be distributed in the following year. "Reaching this milestone is proof that digital access can close real-world health gaps and help challenge the stigma and discrimination that still surround sexual health, especially for the LGBTQ+ community," Sundararaj said in a statement. "With more than 15 million people connecting on Grindr every month, the app has the power to deliver more than just connection; it can deliver life-saving information and tools to LGBTQ+ people all over the world. By using our platform to reach users directly, were helping bridge the gap between awareness and action, and providing safer, judgment-free spaces for care." Grindr prompt to order HIV self-test kitsCourtesy of Grindr Sundararaj and Jen Hecht, cofounder of Building Healthy Online Communities, which created Together TakeMeHome, emphasize the importance of a program like this in the face of political uncertainty, as threats are made to HIV care and prevention measures. Earlier this year, the Trump administration slashed funding to programs not only in the United States but across the globe through PEPFAR.Hecht is optimistic that this 1 million milestone is just the beginning for HIV self-testing. "What this milestone demonstrates is that increasing accessibility to HIV testing by creatively engaging private sector partners benefits many," she said in a statement. "As more people have easy access to HIV testing, we also see higher engagement in other tools, whether that is PrEP for prevention or connection to early treatment and care, that lead to a healthier community overall. Theres still a wide gap between knowing about prevention tools like HIV testing and PrEP, and feeling safe or comfortable enough to seek them out. Too often, stigma and discrimination not just logistics keep people from taking that step.She continued, "By offering self-tests that are easily accessed at any time of day and delivered right to someones door, were helping break down those social and structural barriers, removing not only practical hurdles but also the silent shame and uncertainty that have long kept too many from managing their sexual health. Grindrs leadership in placing the link in a prominent location with the app is a key aspect of normalizing sexual health and de-stigmatizing testing for HIV."Order a free self-test today at together.takemehome.org.