PANDAILY – On April 25, BlueCity was named a winner in the World Health Organization's (WHO) first-ever Western Pacific Innovation Challenge: Innovation for the Future of Public Health. The firm won the accolade for its Internet+ HIV interventions on Blued, a world-leading online LGBTQ+ community platform connecting ~60M users.
Q: BlueCity was among the first to introduce the concept of Internet+ HIV prevention in China. Could you describe how this works?
Zhao: For HIV prevention to be effective, it must be convenient, discreet, and timely. Users can directly make appointments with ~200 testing centers in over 30 cities, and we are working to broaden this service outside of China.
Q: How do your PrEP and PEP services work?
Zhao: We provide access to HIV screening, pre-exposure prophylaxis ("PrEP"), and post-exposure prophylaxis ("PEP") solutions. Users can order such medications in major Chinese cities. We also offer express delivery of PEP medication.
Q: We know privacy and data security is a critical issue for internet companies. What does it mean for BlueCity and your LGBTQ users?
Zhao: Privacy is non-negotiable, and protecting user privacy is central to our mission. We prohibit users from taking a screenshot or recording a video while using the app. We have an anti-fraud team, and we carry out regular online safety campaigns to raise awareness.
