Gay Hookup App Scruff Adds HIV Prevention Status To Profiles

Popular gay dating app Scruff is adding a new filtering option and profile section to let members list their use of an anti-HIV drug.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an HIV preventative method recently endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And the new version of gay dating app Scruff will let users list both their safety, and sexual, preferences, according to the app’s chief product officer, Jason Marchant, who was interviewed by Advocate.

The new section lets singles choose from a list of Safety Practices, that includes Condoms, PrEP and Treatment as Prevention.

The company said it has recently seen a rise in profiles outlining an individual’s use of PrEP, so decided to add it as a new section.

The CEO of Grindr, Joel Simkhai, also came out in support of the use of the controversial drug, telling Advocate: “I believe all sexually active gay men should be on PrEP, barring, of course, any health risks outlined by a medical professional. It prevents HIV infection. Why wouldn’t you take it?”

Earlier this year, a study showed that gay men were increasingly open about discussing their use of PrEP.

The survey found that half of gay men in the US using a major mobile dating app said at least one potential sexual partner said they were using a drug to prevent contracting HIV.

It concluded that the discussion of PrEP use, and of having an undetectable viral load, was becoming more mainstream amongst American gay men, specifically in the context of dating apps.

And with Scruff adding this as a new profile option, we could see many more services adding this as a new filtering method.

Scruff 5 will be available for iOS devices in the next few weeks.

Find out more about the app here.