EmpowHer Program for Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Overseen By Celia Thomas, DHA

Age: < 18

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Alternatives For Girls

Disqualifiers: Receiving AFG services, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

552 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the EmpowHer treatment for teen pregnancy prevention?

Research shows that comprehensive programs, like the EmpowHer treatment, which include education on decision-making, negotiation skills, and access to contraceptive services, can significantly reduce the rates of sexual initiation and increase contraceptive use among teens, leading to fewer pregnancies. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the EmpowHer Program for Teen Pregnancy Prevention different from other treatments?

The EmpowHer Program is unique because it focuses on community education and mobilization to support evidence-based interventions for preventing teen pregnancy, rather than relying solely on clinical or educational settings. This approach involves engaging community stakeholders to create a supportive environment for implementing these interventions. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

What is the purpose of this trial?

Alternatives For Girls (AFG's) EmpowHer curriculum is a program for pre-and early middle school girls (ages 10-15). The curriculum is gender-specific (girls), youth-co-led, and innovative (using online platforms and digitized presentation of material that targets minority/high-risk African American and Latina girls). EmpowHer addresses four adulthood preparation subjects (APS), such as parent-child communication, healthy relationships, adolescent development, and healthy life skills, and is implemented as an after-school program.

Eligibility Criteria

The EmpowHer trial is for pre-and early middle school girls aged 10-15, specifically targeting minority/high-risk African American and Latina girls. It's designed to be an after-school program focusing on preventing teen pregnancy through education.

Inclusion Criteria

Residing in Detroit or Out Wayne County at the time of enrollment

I am a girl in 6th to 8th grade and between 10-15 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Siblings of enrolled participants will not be eligible to participate in the study to prevent possible contamination between conditions

Participants who are currently utilizing other services from Alternatives For Girls (AFG) will not be eligible to participate

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in the EmpowHer curriculum, addressing sexual activity, abstinence, and adulthood preparation topics

20 hours

After-school sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in sexual activity and abstinence rates

9 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• EmpowHer

Trial Overview EmpowHer tests a curriculum that promotes celibacy by teaching about sexual activity, abstinence, and adulthood preparation topics like communication with parents, healthy relationships, adolescent development, and life skills.

Participant Groups

Group I: EmpowHer Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention curriculum is designed to address sexual activity, abstinence, and adulthood preparation topics.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Alternatives For Girls

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2

Recruited

1,100+

Findings from Research

A systematic review of 120 studies on clinic-based repeat teen pregnancy prevention programs found that only five specifically focused on this issue, highlighting a significant gap in research.

While some programs showed positive effects on reducing repeat teen pregnancies, many did not, suggesting that improving access to immediate postpartum contraception and home visiting services could be effective strategies for supporting teen mothers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinic-Based Programs to Prevent Repeat Teen Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. Frederiksen, BN., Rivera, MI., Ahrens, KA., et al.[2023]

The Johns Hopkins Adolescent Pregnancy Program provided comprehensive care, resulting in fewer pregnancy complications and lower perinatal mortality rates for adolescents compared to similar young women receiving care elsewhere.

Adolescents in the program had significantly lower rates of low birth weight (9.9% for those below 2500 g) compared to controls (16.4%), indicating the program's effectiveness in improving pregnancy outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Johns Hopkins Adolescent Pregnancy Program: an evaluation. Hardy, JB., King, TM., Repke, JT.[2009]

School-based health clinics play a crucial role in supporting pregnant and parenting teens, which can help mitigate negative pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight and developmental delays.

Providing educational support, counseling, and community resources through these clinics is essential for improving the overall well-being and academic performance of teenage parents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of school-based health clinics on teenage pregnancy and parenting outcomes: an integrated literature review. Strunk, JA.[2019]

A case-controlled study showed that the Teen-age Parent Center positively influenced pregnancy outcomes, leading to lower rates of low birth weight and improved high school graduation rates among teen parents.

The program also contributed to reduced smoking during pregnancy and increased access to prenatal care, demonstrating that comprehensive, school-based interventions can enhance perinatal health for teenage parents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perinatal outcomes in a school-based program for pregnant teen-agers. Hall, RT., Santos, SR., Cofield, F., et al.[2019]

All five reviewed adolescent pregnancy prevention programs effectively emphasized abstinence, decision-making skills, and education on sexuality and contraception, with four providing access to contraceptive services.

Programs targeting younger adolescents were particularly successful, reducing sexual initiation by up to 15 percentage points and increasing contraceptive use by as much as 22 percentage points, with the most effective programs also significantly decreasing pregnancy rates.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Understanding the impact of effective teenage pregnancy prevention programs. Frost, JJ., Forrest, JD.[2022]

The UT Teen Health initiative successfully educated community stakeholders and mobilized support for evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention interventions, taking an average of 13.5 months to implement these programs in local schools.

From 2011 to 2015, over 12,500 youth aged 11 to 19 benefited from these interventions, primarily through partnerships with 16 schools, highlighting the effectiveness of school-based programs in reaching large numbers of adolescents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stakeholder Education and Community Mobilization Garner Support for Sex Education. Plastino, K., Quinlan, J., Todd, J., et al.[2021]

The school-based program effectively combines parent education with creative physical activities to help adolescent mothers develop positive parenting behaviors while they continue their education.

The program's content, which includes parenting information and fitness strategies, can be adapted for use in various community and clinical settings, making it a versatile resource for supporting young mothers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Moving into Parenthood: a program for new adolescent mothers combining parent education with creative physical activity. Sadler, LS., Cowlin, A.[2019]

The mentoring program for unmarried primiparous teens did not significantly reduce the rates of repeat pregnancy, with 66% of mentored teens and 68.8% of control teens experiencing a repeat pregnancy by 33 months.

Despite the lack of impact on repeat pregnancy rates, both mentored and control teens showed progress in their education, with 50% graduating or advancing two grades within 24 months.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Lessons learned from a mentoring program for teenage mothers. Havens, KK., Wagstaff, DA., Mercer, PA., et al.[2006]

A pilot educational program on human sexuality for junior high students in St. Paul significantly increased students' knowledge about sexuality, as shown by pre- and posttest scores.

The program maintained consistent student interest throughout its duration, indicating its effectiveness in engaging adolescents on important topics related to sexual health and prevention of adolescent pregnancy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching human sexuality in junior high school: an interdisciplinary approach. Kapp, L., Taylor, BA., Edwards, LE.[2019]

References

1. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinic-Based Programs to Prevent Repeat Teen Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. [2023]

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

The Johns Hopkins Adolescent Pregnancy Program: an evaluation. [2009]

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

The effect of school-based health clinics on teenage pregnancy and parenting outcomes: an integrated literature review. [2019]

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

Perinatal outcomes in a school-based program for pregnant teen-agers. [2019]

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

Understanding the impact of effective teenage pregnancy prevention programs. [2022]

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

Stakeholder Education and Community Mobilization Garner Support for Sex Education. [2021]

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

Moving into Parenthood: a program for new adolescent mothers combining parent education with creative physical activity. [2019]

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

Lessons learned from a mentoring program for teenage mothers. [2006]

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

Teaching human sexuality in junior high school: an interdisciplinary approach. [2019]