Career and Sexual Health Education for Unsafe Sex Prevention

(MWB Trial)

Recruiting at 3 trial locations

Overseen By Jennifer Manlove, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Child Trends

Disqualifiers: Planning pregnancy, Other sexual health education, Others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

700 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program called Many Ways of Being, designed to help young people engage in safer sex and healthier relationships. Researchers aim to determine if this program reduces unprotected sex compared to a career-focused program called Passport to Success. Participants will attend sessions and complete surveys to share their experiences. Teens aged 15-19 in the DC area who are not planning a pregnancy or receiving other sexual health education can participate. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for teens to contribute to research that could improve sexual health education.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It focuses on sexual health education and does not mention any medication requirements.

What prior data suggests that the Many Ways of Being program is safe for youth?

Research has shown that the Many Ways of Being program offers a safe and engaging learning experience. This program helps young people understand healthy relationships, gender equality, and safe sex practices. Unlike medical treatments, it involves attending learning sessions rather than taking medicine or undergoing surgery.

As an educational program, it has no reports of physical side effects, unlike those sometimes seen in drug trials. Participants attend classes designed to reduce risky sexual behaviors, making the program easy to participate in, with no known safety concerns.

In summary, the Many Ways of Being program provides a safe way for young people to learn about important topics that can help them make healthier choices. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the programs "Many Ways of Being" and "Passport to Success" because they take a fresh approach to preventing unsafe sex by blending career readiness with sexual health education. Unlike traditional programs that might focus solely on sexual health education, these programs integrate essential life skills that could empower youth to make safer choices by addressing broader aspects of their lives. This combined focus not only seeks to reduce risky behaviors but also aims to equip young people with skills that enhance their future career prospects, making it a holistic method of intervention.

What evidence suggests that the Many Ways of Being program is effective for reducing unprotected sex among youth?

Research has shown that comprehensive sexual education programs, like Many Ways of Being, which participants in this trial may receive, effectively reduce risky sexual behaviors. For example, a study that combined results from various studies found that these programs significantly increase knowledge and reduce unprotected sex. Many Ways of Being specifically emphasizes gender equality and healthy relationships, which are crucial for promoting safer sex practices. Although some studies show mixed results, the overall evidence supports the idea that inclusive, youth-focused education can lead to positive behavioral changes. Meanwhile, the comparison arm in this trial will implement a career readiness program, Passport to Success, to evaluate its impact on similar outcomes. ^{1 3 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jennifer Manlove, PhD

Principal Investigator

Child Trends

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English or Spanish-speaking youth aged 15-19 living in the greater Metropolitan DC area. It's not for those planning a pregnancy, who've had sexual health education from the Latin American Youth Center before, or are getting other sexual health education during the study.

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 15 and 19 years old and live in the greater Metropolitan DC area.

Exclusion Criteria

Youth who have participated in other sexual health programming through the LAYC previously

Youth who are receiving other sexual health education during the implementation period

I am a young person planning to become pregnant.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants attend the Many Ways of Being program or a career readiness program for a total of 14 hours and 40 minutes over 4-8 weeks

4-8 weeks

8 sessions (in-person or virtual)

Follow-up

Participants complete post-intervention and 9-month follow-up surveys to assess outcomes

9 months

2 surveys (virtual)

Optional Focus Group

Select participants who received the MWB program participate in an optional focus group discussion

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Many Ways of Being
• Passport to Success

Trial Overview The 'Many Ways of Being' program aims to reduce STIs and unplanned pregnancies by promoting healthy relationships and challenging rigid gender norms. This will be compared with a career readiness program without sexual health components over 4-8 weeks.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Many Ways of Being Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

In the experimental arm, Equimundo's Many Ways of Being program will be implemented. Youth will receive eight two-hour sessions or 16 one-hour sessions over four to eight weeks for a total of 14 hours and 40 minutes of programming.

Group II: A career readiness program Active Control 1 Intervention

In the comparison arm, a curriculum focused on career readiness will be implemented. Youth will receive eight two-hour sessions or 16 one-hour sessions over four to eight weeks for a total of 14 hours and 40 minutes of programming.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Child Trends

Lead Sponsor

Trials

20

Recruited

208,000+

Latin American Youth Center

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

2,200+

Equimundo:Center for Masculinities and Social Justice

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

700+

Family and Youth Services Bureau

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

2,100+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Sexual Health Empowerment Project was developed as a brief jail-based intervention aimed at improving cervical health knowledge and self-efficacy among incarcerated women, based on their specific health literacy needs.

Future evaluations are necessary to assess the long-term impact of this intervention on health behaviors and outcomes for women transitioning from jail to community settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The development of a brief jail-based cervical health promotion intervention. Ramaswamy, M., Simmons, R., Kelly, PJ.[2023]

A systematic review of 289 interventions aimed at reducing STIs in U.S. adolescents found that comprehensive education programs, which teach safe sexual practices and skills, can lead to a 30% reduction in STI incidence.

Interventions focused solely on abstinence showed no effectiveness, while those that improved condom use and communication skills reduced STI rates by 30-36%, highlighting the importance of practical skills in sexual health education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effective Evidence-Based Programs For Preventing Sexually-Transmitted Infections: A Meta-Analysis. Petrova, D., Garcia-Retamero, R.[2019]

Adolescent sexual activity poses significant risks to young women's health and quality of life, including early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive sexual education.

Effective sexual education should not only focus on contraceptive methods but also promote personal responsibility and citizenship, fostering respect and self-care among adolescents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sex education in school: preventing unwanted pregnancy in adolescents. Saito, MI.[2019]

A multi-country study is being conducted in Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Malawi to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to young people who are out of school, addressing their unique needs.

The research aims to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health by preparing facilitators to effectively deliver CSE in these contexts, contributing to global goals for health and gender equality.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protocol for a multi-country implementation research study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of context-specific actions to train and support facilitators to deliver sexuality education to young people in out-of-school settings. Plesons, M., De Meyer, S., Amo-Adjei, J., et al.[2023]

Adolescents aged 12-16 in rural primary schools reported benefits from school-based sexuality education, indicating its potential effectiveness in promoting sexual health.

However, the implementation of these programs faced significant challenges due to various factors at national, institutional, community, family, and individual levels, highlighting the need for a collaborative approach among stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of sexuality education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perceptions of adolescents and teachers on school-based sexuality education in rural primary schools in Uganda. Achora, S., Thupayagale-Tshweneagae, G., Akpor, OA., et al.[2018]

A new ten-page women's health and cancer prevention learning guide was developed specifically for women in the criminal justice system, covering important topics like cervical cancer, breast cancer, STIs, and unintended pregnancy prevention.

Feedback from a sample of 33 women indicated a strong interest in more information about birth control side effects and STI testing and treatment, while they expressed satisfaction with the cancer prevention content, highlighting the guide's relevance and potential impact.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing a Cancer Prevention Health Education Resource: a Primer of Process and Evaluation. Kelly, PJ., Driscoll, D., Lipnicky, A., et al.[2023]

Women diagnosed with viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often find it more challenging to negotiate condom use, as they face social pressures that conflict with safer sex education messages.

Most women in the study expressed a desire for clinicians to initiate discussions about safer sex, highlighting a gap in education and the need for nurses to understand the complexities of gender dynamics in sexual health negotiations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

'Nice girls don't': women and the condom conundrum. Cook, C.[2014]

A health education intervention for 341 college students led to increased sexual abstinence among men and improved consistent condom use among women after 3 months, indicating positive behavioral changes.

The intervention was effective in reducing sexual risk behaviors overall, but the impact varied by gender, highlighting the need for tailored approaches in sexual health education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reduction in sexual risk behaviors among college students following a comprehensive health education intervention. Turner, JC., Korpita, E., Mohn, LA., et al.[2006]

A review of 73 studies identified four effective program types that can significantly delay sexual initiation and reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among adolescents.

These effective programs include specific sex and HIV education curricula, one-on-one clinician-patient interactions, service learning initiatives, and a comprehensive youth development program, all of which have shown strong evidence in improving sexual health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effective approaches to reducing adolescent unprotected sex, pregnancy, and childbearing. Kirby, D.[2014]

A systematic review of 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found that school-based behavioral interventions for preventing sexually transmitted infections generally improved knowledge and self-efficacy among participants, but had limited effects on actual behavioral outcomes like condom use.

While about half of the studies reported some positive behavioral changes, these effects were often restricted to specific subgroups, indicating that while sexual health education is crucial, its impact on behavior may be influenced by various factors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioural interventions for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in young people aged 13-19 years: a systematic review. Picot, J., Shepherd, J., Kavanagh, J., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. equimundo.org equimundo.org/programs/many-ways-of-being-sex-education-curriculum/

Many Ways of Being Many Ways of Being is an inclusive, youth-centered sex education curriculum focused on gender equity, healthy relationships, & safer sex practices.

2. equimundo.org equimundo.org/announcing-many-ways-of-being-muchas-formas-de-ser/

Announcing Many Ways of Being (Muchas Formas de Ser) Many Ways of Being (Muchas Formas de Ser) is an inclusive, youth-centered curriculum focused on gender equity, healthy relationships, and safer sex practices.

3. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2411-5118/6/1/6

Effectiveness of Comprehensive Sexuality Education to ... Almost all the interventions were effective in reducing risky sexual behaviours; however, two studies failed to achieve a reduction in risky sexual behaviours.

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10530760/

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Comprehensive Sexuality ... The categorization of the CSE outcome variables revealed that knowledge (n = 33, 14.1%), unprotected sexual activity (n = 24, 13.7%), and attitude (n = 24, 10. ...

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/322215572_This_Is_How_You_Hetero_Sexual_Minorities_in_Heteronormative_Sex_Education

“This Is How You Hetero:” Sexual Minorities in ... The efficacy of sex education has been questioned, as students participate in high rates of unsafe sex after completion.

6. comprehensivesexualityeducation.org comprehensivesexualityeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/Many-Ways-of-Being-Curriculum.pdf

MANY WAYS OF BEING CURRICULUM Many Ways of Being: An inclusive, youth-centered curriculum focused on gender equity, healthy relationships, and safer sex practices. Washington, DC. Page 4 ...

7. equimundo.org equimundo.org/resources/many-ways-of-being-sex-education-curriculum/

Many Ways of Being | Sex Education Program in ... An inclusive sex education program for ages 15-19. Many Ways of Being focuses on healthy relationships, gender and identity, and safety.