YUP! Program for Teen Pregnancy Prevention

(YUP Trial)

Overseen By Elyse Mason, MPH

Age: < 65

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: The Policy & Research Group

Disqualifiers: Currently pregnant, Trying to become pregnant, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 5

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial examines how a specific online program can help young mothers use effective contraception and reduce unprotected sex. Participants will use a special website designed to support young parents for two months, called the Guided Young United Parents! Website Intervention. Researchers will compare the results to those from a group using a basic nutrition website to evaluate effectiveness. Young mothers aged 15-20 who have recently had sex and can access the internet from their own devices may be eligible. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could directly benefit young parents.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the YUP! Program trial?

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

What prior data suggests that the Guided Young United Parents! Website Intervention is safe for teens?

Research shows that the Guided Young United Parents! (YUP!) Website Intervention is a digital program designed to assist young parents. This program offers resources and support through a website. As an online tool, it requires no medications or medical procedures, presenting no direct health risks.

The program aims to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young parents by providing information and community support. As an educational tool, it has no known side effects or negative impacts. Participants can interact with online content and connect with others in similar situations. Overall, the program is well-received, focusing on education and support without any physical health risks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Guided Young United Parents! (YUP!) Website Intervention because it offers a novel approach to teen pregnancy prevention by using an interactive online platform specifically designed for young parents. Unlike traditional educational programs or in-person counseling, this intervention leverages technology to provide accessible, engaging, and tailored content over a two-month period. By focusing on guided, directed use of the YUP! website, this approach aims to provide continuous support and education, potentially increasing its effectiveness compared to standard options like classroom-based programs or pamphlets.

What evidence suggests that the Guided Young United Parents! Website Intervention is effective for teen pregnancy prevention?

Research shows that the Young United Parents! (YUP!) website helps young parents avoid unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The program offers resources and support for healthy relationships, prenatal care, and parenting skills, empowering young parents to make informed choices. By providing easy-to-understand and comprehensive information, young parents can achieve better health outcomes. Although specific data on its effectiveness is not yet available, the approach relies on proven methods that improve knowledge and decision-making among young parents. This trial will compare the Guided YUP! Website Intervention with a Nutrition Website, which serves as the control condition. Overall, the YUP! program aims to reduce the risks associated with teen parenting by creating a supportive online community. ^{1 2 4 5 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Eric Jenner, PhD

Principal Investigator

The Policy & Research Group

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English-speaking biological females aged 15-20 in the U.S. who have given birth and are caring for their child, have had penile-vaginal sex recently, and can access the internet on a personal device. It's not for those currently pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or who've used YUP! before.

Inclusion Criteria

I have had penile-vaginal sex in the last three months.

Has given birth to a child they currently provide care for

Owns or has regular access to a personal device (smartphone, laptop, tablet) with internet access

Exclusion Criteria

Identified as fraudulent

Previously registered to use the YUP! website

Currently pregnant

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in the Guided YUP! program, a two-month structured website-based intervention with near-peer mentor interactions.

8 weeks

5 virtual interactions

Post-Intervention Follow-up

Participants are assessed for primary and secondary outcomes three months after the intervention period.

3 months

Long-term Follow-up

Participants are monitored for long-term outcomes twelve months after the intervention period.

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Guided Young United Parents! Website Intervention
• Nutrition Website

Trial Overview The study compares two online interventions: 'Young United Parents!' (YUP!) which focuses on preventing teen pregnancy, against a control group using a nutrition website. The goal is to see if YUP! affects contraception use and sexual activity after three months.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Guided Young United Parents! (YUP!) Website Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The Guided YUP! website intervention is the treatment condition, which will involve two months of directed use of the YUP! website.

Group II: Nutrition Website Placebo Group 1 Intervention

The nutrition website is the control condition.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The Policy & Research Group

Lead Sponsor

Trials

12

Recruited

12,700+

Department of Health and Human Services

Collaborator

Trials

240

Recruited

944,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Community Coalition Partnership Program successfully implemented diverse youth development projects across 13 communities from 1997 to 2000, focusing on areas like community services, education, and mentoring.

These youth development efforts were more effective in engaging community partners compared to traditional pregnancy prevention methods, suggesting a broader community impact and potential benefits for individual youth.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Implementation of youth development programs: promise and challenges. Gallagher, KM., Stanley, A., Shearer, D., et al.[2019]

The pregnancy prevention program in New York City junior high schools significantly increased the number of students visiting family planning clinics for contraception, from 11% to 76% over three years.

Teen pregnancy rates among adolescents under 15 dropped by 34% in schools participating in the program, highlighting its effectiveness, while a school that did not continue the program experienced a much higher pregnancy rate of 16.5 per 1,000 female students compared to 5.8 per 1,000 in the other schools.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pregnancy prevention among urban adolescents younger than 15: results of the 'In Your Face' program. Tiezzi, L., Lipshutz, J., Wrobleski, N., et al.[2006]

Teen pregnancy in the United States is a significant issue, with the highest rates in the Western world, leading to negative outcomes such as interrupted education and limited job opportunities for young parents.

The paper reviews various teen pregnancy prevention programs and strategies, emphasizing the need for effective interventions to address this complex problem influenced by multiple social factors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teenage pregnancy prevention programs. Pierre, N., Cox, J.[2019]

The TEEN HEED program effectively engaged prediabetic adolescents in diabetes prevention through a peer-led approach, highlighting the importance of youth participation in research and community health initiatives.

Interviews with stakeholders revealed key themes such as the benefits of peer education, challenges faced during participation, and suggestions for improving and sustaining future youth participatory action research projects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perspectives from diverse stakeholders in a youth community-based participatory research project. Oridota, O., Shetty, A., Elaiho, CR., et al.[2023]

The Innovative Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs (iTP3) project successfully developed new programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy among at-risk populations by using both traditional and design-focused funding models.

Evaluation of the programs revealed that the design-focused model, which emphasized human-centered design, resulted in notable differences in program length and resource requirements compared to traditional funding methods, highlighting the importance of tailored approaches in program development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A program evaluation of the Innovative Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs (iTP3) Project. Garcia, KM., Esquivel, CH., Garney, WR., et al.[2022]

A study involving 11 middle school leaders in South Carolina identified key barriers to sustaining teen pregnancy prevention programs after grant funding ends, including lack of materials, insufficient funding, and parental opposition.

To improve sustainability, school leaders emphasized the need for continued funding, training, and updated curriculum, highlighting that schools facing more challenges may struggle to maintain these important programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sustaining Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs in Schools: Needs and Barriers Identified by School Leaders. Craft, LR., Brandt, HM., Prince, M.[2017]

Recent comprehensive policies aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy, such as family life education and improved access to contraceptive care, have successfully delayed sexual activity and increased contraceptive use, leading to significant reductions in pregnancies, abortions, and births among adolescents.

Despite these successes, health disparities persist across different ethnic and racial groups, highlighting the need for continued and synergistic policy approaches rather than reverting to narrow strategies like abstinence-only education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A public health success: understanding policy changes related to teen sexual activity and pregnancy. Brindis, CD.[2006]

A pilot test of the web-based program 'BReady4it' involving 173 high school students showed significant improvements in self-efficacy and intentions regarding condom use, which are important factors in reducing risky sexual behavior.

Participants expressed high satisfaction with the program, indicating that web-based education can effectively engage teens and promote safer sexual practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Testing a Risky Sex Behavior Intervention Pilot Website for Adolescents. Starling, R., Helme, D., Nodulman, JA., et al.[2023]

Over the past 20 years, research has significantly improved in studying adolescent sexual behavior and pregnancy prevention, utilizing better experimental designs and larger sample sizes to yield more reliable results.

Effective programs have been identified, including sex and HIV education that reduces risky sexual behavior and youth development programs that lower rates of teen pregnancy and childbearing.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reflections on two decades of research on teen sexual behavior and pregnancy. Kirby, D.[2019]

A meta-analysis of 52 studies on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention programs found that the overall effectiveness of these programs in reducing risky sexual behaviors was minimal, with none of the outcomes achieving statistical significance.

Programs delivered in classroom settings were identified as the least effective, suggesting that the context of delivery may influence the success of pregnancy prevention initiatives.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Meta-analysis of Federally Funded Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program Evaluations. Juras, R., Kelsey, M., Steinka-Fry, K., et al.[2022]

The Young Parenthood Program (YPP) is an effective 10-week counseling intervention for pregnant adolescents, showing improved positive parenting skills among fathers compared to a control group of 105 participants.

The positive changes in paternal functioning were linked to improvements in the mothers' interpersonal skills, highlighting the importance of involving both parents in parenting support programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Young parenthood program: supporting positive paternal engagement through coparenting counseling. Florsheim, P., Burrow-Sánchez, JJ., Minami, T., et al.[2021]

The implementation of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in a school district aimed to address high birth rates among Hispanic or Latino teens, which were 40 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in 2018.

Despite challenges like funding interruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic, the program successfully provided educational programming to 9,616 youth over a 5-year period, highlighting effective strategies for engaging leadership, training staff, and fostering community support.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Identifying Implementation Drivers for Teen Sexual Health Education Curricula. Glinski, A., Cox, J., Lahti, MF.[2023]

The Pathways to Success initiative successfully improved access to supportive services for expectant and parenting young people by fostering collaboration among various organizations within a large school district.

A dedicated program coordinator played a crucial role in facilitating systems-level changes, leading to increased connectivity and collaboration, which are essential for creating lasting benefits for young parents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Creating Systems-Level Change to Better Support Expectant and Parenting Young People: A Case Study. Purington, A., Stupp, E., Sebuharara, D., et al.[2020]

Citations

1. trialx.com trialx.com/clinical-trials/listings/226993/evaluation-of-young-united-parents/

Evaluation of Young United Parents | Clinical Research ... A website-based program designed to help young parents ages 15-22 avoid unplanned, repeat pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

2. youngunitedparents.org youngunitedparents.org/

Home | Young United Parents! (YUP!) Community, Resources ... Pregnancy & Birth · Prenatal Care · Preparing For Baby · Preparing For Birth · Postpartum Care · Labor & Delivery · Relationships · Healthy Relationships · Your ...

3. youngparentsunited.org youngparentsunited.org/about-adolescent-parenting

About Adolescent Parenting | United States Fast Facts about Teenage Pregnancy. Latest research shows there are a significant adverse health, social and economic outcomes among teen parents and ...

4. sentientresearch.net sentientresearch.net/work/focus-areas/adolescent-school-health/yup-young-united-parents

YUP! (Young United Parents) The YUP! app and mobile website are here to help pregnant and parenting mothers and fathers ages 16–24 overcome social isolation and stigma.

5. youngunitedparents.org youngunitedparents.org/about

About Us | Young United Parents! (YUP!) Community ... YUP! is a holistic, health and well-being website for young parents aged 15-24, created to support and honor their experiences and help them thrive in all ...

6. youngparentsunited.org youngparentsunited.org/

Young Parents United: Teen Parents | United States Young Parents United Inc. - offers programs and services in the United States -to meet the unique needs of teen parents.