Sexual Behavior, Unprotected Sex
Conditions
Brief summary
This study uses a cluster-level randomized controlled design to evaluate the efficacy of Re:MIX in reducing the incidences of early sexual behavior, unprotected sex, oral sex, pregnancy, and STIs. Re:MIX is a comprehensive in-school health curriculum and teen pregnancy prevention program for adolescents covering a broad range of topics related to sexual health and youth development, including healthy relationships, communication, gender, consent, reproductive anatomy, contraception, sexual decision making, clinics, parenthood, and life planning. Re:MIX also aims to connect students and peer educators with community resources and service linkages. The Re:MIX curriculum teaches mixed-gender groups of students in grades 8 to 10 to delay sex and use protection if they have sex. A co-facilitation team of young parent educators delivered the information with professional health educators using non-traditional approaches, such as game-based tools, technology, and storytelling. Youth received roughly nine hours and 10 minutes of group sessions during the school day over one semester (55 minutes per week for 10 weeks). Participants were in 8th, 9th, and 10th graders attending three public charter schools in Travis County, Texas. Comparison classes either received an alternative program that focused on health, nutrition, and fitness, or business as usual. This study was conducted as a Rigorous Evaluation of New or Innovative Approaches to Prevent Teen Pregnancy funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Adolescent Health.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALRe:MIX, a multi-layer comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention intervention aimed at reducing pregnancy and STIs among youth ages 13-17
Re:MIX is a comprehensive in-school health curriculum and teen pregnancy prevention program for adolescents covering a broad range of topics related to sexual health and youth development, including healthy relationships, communication, gender, consent, reproductive anatomy, contraception, sexual decision making, clinics, parenthood, and life planning. Re:MIX also aims to connect students and young parent educators with community resources and service linkages. The Re:MIX curriculum teaches mixed-gender groups of students in grades 8 to 10 to delay sex and use protection if they have sex. A co-facilitation team of young parent educators delivered the information with professional health educators using non-traditional approaches, such as game-based tools, technology, and storytelling. Youth received roughly nine hours and 10 minutes of group sessions during the school day over one semester (55 minutes per week for 10 weeks).
Sponsors
EngenderHealth
University of Texas at Austin
The Office of Adolescent Health, HHS
Child Trends
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Students in 8-10th grade classrooms in three public charter schools in Travis County, Texas
Exclusion criteria
* None
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ever had sexual intercourse | 12 months after baseline | Single dichotomous item on self-report questionnaire. |
| Unprotected sexual intercourse in the past 3 months. | 12 months after baseline | Single dichotomous item on self-report questionnaire. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intentions | 3 and 12 months after baseline | Single dichotomous item on self-report questionnaire measuring intentions to have sex in the next year. |
| Knowledge | 3 and 12 months after baseline | Outcome was measured using items on a self-report questionnaire related to knowledge about condoms, STI prevention and birth control efficacy |
| Attitudes | 3 and 12 months after baseline | Outcome was measured using items on a self-report questionnaire related to attitudes about gender roles, gender and sexual identities, early sex, condom use, early pregnancy and being a teen parent. |
| Self-efficacy in avoiding unwanted/unprotected sex and communication with partners | 3 and 12 months after baseline | Outcome was measured using items on a self-report questionnaire related to self-efficacy in obtaining birth control, negotiating condom use avoiding unwanted sexual contact, asking for, and providing consent and assertive communication. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed