Eight hundred million people are active users of Facebook , according to the site’s own statistics. That’s one in nine people living today. Of those 800 million, over 50% check their account on a daily basis.

Because it serves as a connecting point for millions, we developed a Facebook app with our HIV/AIDS Prevention and Service Provider Locator (the Locator). This allows users to search for services without leaving Facebook. The Locator features HIV testing, housing assistance, health centers, Ryan White HIV care facilities, mental health clinics, substance abuse services, and family planning locations. Each of these services is plotted on the map, based either on your location or the zip code or city/state you provide in the search box. The Locator also links to Google Maps so that you can get directions to services.

Repurposing the Locator across social media channels like Facebook extends the reach of this tool. Increasing awareness of the many HIV/AIDS service locations across the United States and connecting people to care by providing simple directions on a mapping interface is the primary goal of the Locator. By placing it directly on Facebook, it our hope that more people will be able to find these important resources in their own communities.

Facebook recently announced more than 60 new apps for the Facebook timeline. It is important to note that apps may have potential negative privacy implications . However, the AIDS.gov HIV Prevention & Service Provider Locator is a confidential health information service. This app does not collect any personal information about you nor does it share the search results or your visit to your wall.