Are You Ready? for Teen Pregnancy Prevention

(AYR Trial)

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Overseen by Sarah Walsh, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: The Policy & Research Group

Disqualifiers: Other interventions

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this randomized trial is to learn if the Are You Ready? (AYR) intervention has a positive impact on the sexual and mental health behaviors of sexually active youth between the ages of 14 and 21 years old who are at risk for or involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems. The primary research questions it aims to answer are: * Three months after being offered the intervention, does AYR impact youth's receipt of sexually transmitted infection testing in the past three months? * Three months after being offered the intervention, does AYR impact youth's use of coping skills? * Nine months after being offered the intervention, does AYR impact youth's frequency of having vaginal and anal sex without condoms in the past three months? Researchers will compare participants randomized to receive AYR (treatment group) to participants randomized to receive a control condition that contains no sexual or reproductive health information (control group). Participants randomized to the treatment group will be offered AYR as a virtual or in-person, 2.5 hour group session. Participants randomized to the control group will be offered a virtually delivered control condition.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

How is the 'Are You Ready?' treatment different from other teen pregnancy prevention methods?

The 'Are You Ready?' treatment is unique because it focuses on both young men and women, addressing the often-overlooked prevention needs of young men, and emphasizes community readiness and involvement, which is not typically a focus in standard teen pregnancy prevention programs. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Research Team

Sarah Walsh, PhD

Principal Investigator

The Policy & Research Group

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for sexually active youth aged 14-21 who are at risk or involved with juvenile justice/child welfare systems, have had vaginal or anal sex in the past 3 months, and are comfortable with English. It's not specified who can't join.

Inclusion Criteria

At risk for or involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems

Comfortable reading, speaking, and writing in English

I have had vaginal or anal sex in the last 3 months.

Exclusion Criteria

I have received local sexual and reproductive health interventions.

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive the Are You Ready? (AYR) intervention as a virtual or in-person, 2.5-hour group session

1 session

1 visit (in-person or virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in sexual and mental health behaviors, including STI testing, coping skills, and condom use

10 months

3 assessments (baseline, 4 months, 10 months post-baseline)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Are You Ready? (AYR) (Behavioural Intervention)

Trial Overview The study tests if 'Are You Ready?' (AYR), a sexual and mental health program, affects STI testing rates, use of coping skills, and condomless sex frequency among participants compared to a control group without such information.

Participant Groups

Group I: Are You Ready? Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Social Media Awareness Shorts Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Find a Clinic Near You

Research Locations Nearby Select from list below to view details:

The Policy & Research Group New Orleans, LA

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The Policy & Research Group

Lead Sponsor

Trials

12

Patients Recruited

12,700+

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Collaborator

Trials

68

Patients Recruited

31,130,000+

Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs

Collaborator

Trials

4

Patients Recruited

5,400+

Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies

Collaborator

Trials

1

Patients Recruited

1,900+

Reproductive Health National Training Center

Collaborator

Trials

4

Patients Recruited

5,400+

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Socioecological risk factors associated with teen pregnancy or birth for young men: A scoping review. [2020] Teen pregnancy prevention typically focuses on young women, overlooking the unique prevention needs of young men. Identifying factors associated with teen pregnancy for young men is essential to developing relevant and effective programming.

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to pregnancy in a rural teenage population. [2015] Despite recent declining national trends, teenage pregnancy continues to be a community health problem warranting attention, especially in rural areas of the southern United States. Communities are unique and require assessment of risk populations to develop appropriate initiatives. This pilot study examined consent strategies and survey procedures and tools. Additionally, descriptive statistics related to pregnancy and pregnancy prevention knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were examined. The study sample consisted of 52 boys and girls who perceived themselves to be in the middle or upper levels of their 9th-grade class and who were predominantly college bound and fairly active in extracurricular activities. Often groups with similar demographics are not perceived as at risk for pregnancy and early sexual intercourse, but the findings suggest otherwise. Many girls were sexually active, several had already experienced pregnancy, and some were at risk for intentional pregnancy. Knowledge regarding pregnancy prevention was modest. School-based and peer-focused programs are promising intervention strategies in response to identified attitudes and reported information sources related to pregnancy and pregnancy prevention.

3. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adolescent pregnancy in the United States: a review and recommendations for clinicians and research needs. [2005] Adolescent pregnancy, often unplanned and unwanted, has a negative impact on the physical, emotional, educational, and economic condition of the pregnant teenager. Forty percent of the one million adolescents who became pregnant in 1986 chose abortion, and, of the remainder, 61% were unmarried. Teenage mothers in greater numbers and at younger ages are opting to keep and raise their children. In 1987 over $19 billion in federal monies were expended on families begun when the mother was a teenager. The preferred approach to this problem is prevention of teenage pregnancy rather than abortion, with emphasis on sex education and access to family planning information and contraceptive devices for both females and males. Sex education in schools is presented in widely varying formats; in fact, prevention of pregnancy may not even be presented. Family planning clinics are subject to the whims and biases of the funding agencies. Clinicians have an important role in providing guidance for teenage patients and their parents, but can also influence school and community leadership to ensure that all teenagers receive sound sex education in school programs and that family planning agencies are permitted to counsel teenagers and provide contraceptive devices.

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Strategies to Build Readiness in Community Mobilization Efforts for Implementation in a Multi-Year Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. [2020] This paper describes an assessment of community readiness to implement a community-wide teen pregnancy prevention initiative, Youth First, and presents strategies used to enhance this readiness as informed by the assessment.

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preventing unwanted adolescent pregnancy: a cognitive-behavioral approach. [2017] Teenage pregnancy is a growing social problem in the United States. Past interventive failures and current research suggest new directions for primary prevention. A comprehensive prevention program is outlined, and training techniques based on a cognitive-behavioral approach are proposed to help adolescents acquire skills necessary to avoid unwanted pregnancies.