My Future Self Program for Teenage Pregnancy Prevention

Overseen By Frances LaSalle-Castro

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Disqualifiers: Outside age range, Currently pregnant, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 7

704 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program called 'My Future Self' aimed at preventing pregnancy among teenagers aged 16-19 in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties. These teens face challenges like unstable housing and extreme poverty. The program uses group sessions to provide tailored education and support for pregnancy prevention.

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 does the My Future Self treatment differ from other teenage pregnancy prevention treatments?

The My Future Self treatment is unique because it likely incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral approaches, focusing on decision-making and negotiation skills, and possibly uses technology to engage adolescents in preventing teenage pregnancy. Unlike some other programs, it may emphasize personal development and future planning, rather than solely focusing on contraceptive access or abstinence. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment My Future Self for teenage pregnancy prevention?

Research shows that successful teenage pregnancy prevention programs often include education on abstinence, decision-making skills, and access to contraceptive services, which can reduce the rate of sexual initiation and increase contraceptive use among adolescents. Programs that provide these elements have been shown to decrease the proportion of adolescents who become pregnant. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Mona Desai

Principal Investigator

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English-speaking youth aged 16-19 in Los Angeles and San Diego who are not traditionally schooled, may face issues like unstable housing or poverty, and are not currently pregnant. They should be available locally for the duration of the 5-week program.

Inclusion Criteria

Not previously enrolled in the study

English-language speakers

I am between 16 and 19 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Currently pregnant

Not planning to be in the area for the length of the intervention

Previously enrolled in the study

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive the My Future Self intervention, consisting of 5 group sessions over 5 weeks, focusing on health education around abstinence, contraception methods, and future planning.

5 weeks

5 group sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants complete surveys to assess the effectiveness of the intervention at 6 months and 12 months.

12 months

2 surveys (remote)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• My Future Self

Trial Overview 'My Future Self' is a new group intervention aimed at preventing teen pregnancy. It's a 5-week program tested against regular services provided to youths in non-traditional settings. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive this intervention or just continue with their usual services.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: My Future Self Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

My Future Self - 5 group sessions; 1 hour each over 5 weeks; content includes: health education around abstinence and contraception methods, and consideration of goals of parenthood and family planning in their adult future; future plans, discussion of healthy intimate partner relationships/

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Youth will continue to receive any services that they would normally receive around health education.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Lead Sponsor

Trials

257

Recruited

5,075,000+

ETR Associates

Collaborator

Trials

14

Recruited

12,900+

Published Research Related to This Trial

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]

Adolescent pregnancy rates have decreased due to various interventions, but significant disparities still exist among different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, indicating that many adolescents lack access to necessary sexual health information and services.

Future strategies should focus on enhancing educational program quality, engaging youth in policy design, utilizing technology for health literacy, and addressing structural racism to ensure equitable access to sexual health resources.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perspectives on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Strategies in the United States: Looking Back, Looking Forward. Brindis, CD., Decker, MJ., Gutmann-Gonzalez, A., et al.[2023]

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 study involving 84 high-risk adolescent females revealed that most defined success in terms of higher education and good jobs, yet many believed that having a child would not hinder their educational goals.

Despite recognizing the importance of education and career for success, the only significant factor predicting the use of contraception was the belief that childbearing would negatively impact their finances, suggesting that traditional motivational strategies in pregnancy prevention counseling may need to be reevaluated.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adolescents: their futures and their contraceptive decisions. Richards, MJ., Sheeder, J.[2019]

Despite a decline in adolescent pregnancy rates over the past decade, it remains a significant public health issue with long-term effects on young mothers and their families.

Effective prevention strategies include community programs focused on social development, education on responsible sexual behavior, and enhanced contraceptive counseling, with family physicians playing a crucial role in fostering open discussions about reproductive health with adolescents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pregnancy prevention in adolescents. As-Sanie, S., Gantt, A., Rosenthal, MS.[2004]

Teenage pregnancy is increasingly recognized as a significant social issue in the United States, prompting the need for effective prevention strategies.

The proposed comprehensive prevention program focuses on cognitive-behavioral training techniques to equip adolescents with the skills needed to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preventing unwanted adolescent pregnancy: a cognitive-behavioral approach. Schinke, SP., Gilchrist, LD., Small, RW.[2017]

The Adolescent Family Life Program aims to prevent adolescent pregnancies by targeting education and outreach before adolescents become sexually active, addressing the rising trends in premarital sexual activity and out-of-wedlock births.

The program also focuses on supporting adolescent parents through services like prenatal care, nutrition counseling, and vocational training, while emphasizing family involvement to create effective prevention strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Adolescent Family Life Program as a prevention measure. Mecklenburg, ME., Thompson, PG.[2021]

The paper highlights the need for better psychological understanding and research on teen contraceptive compliance, emphasizing the importance of self-regulation in improving birth control use among teenagers.

It reviews various programs aimed at enhancing teens' contraceptive choices and identifies predictive factors for contraceptive use, suggesting that integrating findings from medical, behavioral, and self-regulation theories can inform effective program development to reduce teen pregnancy rates.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teen contraception: a review of perspectives on compliance. Beck, JG., Davies, DK.[2019]

Citations

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

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

2. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perspectives on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Strategies in the United States: Looking Back, Looking Forward. [2023]

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

Adolescents: their futures and their contraceptive decisions. [2019]

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

Pregnancy prevention in adolescents. [2004]

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

Preventing unwanted adolescent pregnancy: a cognitive-behavioral approach. [2017]

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

The Adolescent Family Life Program as a prevention measure. [2021]

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

Teen contraception: a review of perspectives on compliance. [2019]