New app logs mutual consent to sex

SAN FRANCISCO — If there are more awkward moments than those involving teenage sexual experiences, they are the insecure seconds leading up to the deed itself.

A mother of three aims to both break the tension and confirm mutual consent before sexual intercourse via Yes to Sex, an app out Friday for both iOS and Android.

In less than 25 seconds, partners can whip out a smartphone, fire up the app and flash through a series of one-touch agreements that culminate in a request to record a short audio confirmation that the parties have agreed to intercourse. A safe word is generated. Both parties agree to stop having sex if one partner says the word.

The app essentially amounts to a technological record of consent. Once a user closes out of the app, no information remains saved on any phone. The date, time, place and voice recordings are stored on Yes to Sex's secure servers, which according to a company news release use "the same data encryption as the Department of Defense (and) the records can only be retrieved with court-endorsed orders, ensuring anonymity."

"As a mother, I was horrified to learn that every month in the U.S., over 1.7 million sexually transmitted infections are passed on, and 25% of female students and 6% to 8% of male students are sexually assaulted each year on campuses,” app creator Wendy Mandell-Geller said in a statement. “I want to empower teens and young adults to initiate conversations with their partners about consent and the use of protection in a modern, approachable manner.”

Of course, the downside for any user is the prospect of watching a partner click a tab that says bluntly, "Sorry, I'm not interested." But better that than proceeding under false impressions.

Follow USA TODAY tech reporter Marco della Cava on Twitter at @marcodellacava.