By Adesina Wahab

A pharmacist, Morenike Fajemisin has created a mobile apps, WHISPA which aims at offering private access to consult with a doctor about any intimate health issue. via our chat with a doctor

Fajemisin, a World Health Organization health innovation winner in an interview said  that WHISPA also features electronic contraceptive assessments that are modelled after WHO’s eligibility criteria and referrals to nearby hospitals for affordable contraceptive services.

“WHISPA intends to solve all these problems by using mobile technology to transform how young people seek their Sexual and Reproductive Health. We offer private access to consult with a doctor about any intimate health issue via our chat with a doctor feature, electronic contraceptive assessments that are modelled after WHO’s eligibility criteria and referrals to nearby hospitals for affordable contraceptive services. We also encourage HIV and Hepatitis virus testing through our ‘at home’ STD test kits. We also have many more services to offer in the near future like STD screening, Cervical cancer screening, Vaccinations and treatments,” she said.

She explained that Nigerians’ awareness of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights was very low adding that knowledge of sexual health would help prevent unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion, “Preventing and Treating Sexually Transmitted infections and Reproductive Tract Infections, Managing Menstrual Health conditions, understanding basic genital hygiene, Understanding fertility and Infertility and seeking appropriate treatments to mention a few.

“We made WHISPA available and affordable. It is free to download, and it costs just N250 to have a consultation with a doctor and we offer the same affordable price rate to book an appointment for contraceptives at all our partner hospitals not minding whether or not the clinic is on the Island or Mainland. Our cost for an online (WhispaChat) consultation is more affordable than the average cost for a registration card at a hospital. We also offer consultation bundles that make the cost of consultation even cheaper when you buy more than one consultation.”

READ ALSO: COVID-19: UNFPA to protect women’s, girls’ reproductive rights

She added that young adults who lack Sexual Health Knowledge grow to become older adults with the same problem. “This cycle of silence and shame and stigma over sexual and reproductive health matters keeps repeating itself with each generation and only gets better by a small margin. We need new bolder solutions,” she said.

While speaking on the relevance of WHISPA during the pandemic, Fajemisin said a tech driven solution like WHISPA would provide quality sexual healthcare from the comfort and privacy of mobile phone.

“WHISPA is exactly the kind of solution people in Nigeria need to attend to their intimate health issues even before COVID-19 and more so in the face of this pandemic because non-essential outings are not advised for safety reasons,” she said.

Vanguard