Alex Garner is the senior health innovation strategist for Hornet, a gay social networking app.Courtesy of Hornet

Gay social networking app Hornet launched the Health Innovation Group to amplify HIV prevention and education efforts among its nine million users. And Hornet has hired Alex Garner as its senior health innovation strategist to oversee the efforts, according to a Hornet press release.

Previously, Garner led the National Minority AIDS Council’s PrEP Education Program, which focuses on the daily pill Truvada as a pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV. He has worked for more than 20 years in HIV and gay men’s health.

“I am very excited to join the Hornet team,” said Garner, who is living with HIV, in the press release. “Countless opportunities exist for doing great work with the Hornet community, and I am dedicated to creating an experience where users feel empowered and supported, and have the resources to make informed decisions about their health.”

This year, Hornet has set the following HIV-related goals:

  • Improve knowledge and understanding of HIV prevention and treatment strategies, such as PrEP, PEP, and Treatment as Prevention

  • Increase access to testing, treatment, and prevention options

  • Reduce HIV-related stigma and continue to create an environment that is supportive and affirming for HIV-positive gay men

  • Increase research conducted in collaboration with local partners so as to better understand the experiences of users, the barriers they may encounter, and how strategies can be improved to better the health and wellness of gay men

“Social Networks exist for their users,” added Hornet CEO Sean Howell, “and as a gay company, we will continue to invest in ways to amplify, as well as alter, HIV prevention and treatment efforts to better meet the needs of all gay men.”

For more info on Hornet, visit hornetapp.com.