Reducing HIV/STI Risk Among Adolescents Aged 12 to 14 Years: a Randomized Controlled Trial of Project Prepared.

Despite calls for evidence-based HIV/STI prevention programs for youth aged 12 to 14 transitioning to adolescence, few effective programs exist. In a two-group intent-to-treat randomized trial in the Bronx, NY, 397 participants were randomly assigned to Project Prepared or an attention control, TEEN. Participants completed surveys at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Prepared had two components, an 11-session program and a 3-week internship. Content covered sexual risk behavior, social cognitions, gender norms, relationships, and resilience. TEEN built communication skills and had the same intensity and structure as Prepared but no sexual content. In both, boys and girls were trained together in mixed groups of ~ 11 teens. Primary outcomes were HIV knowledge, self-efficacy, condom outcome expectancy, and behavioral intentions. Secondary outcomes were relationship expectations and endorsement of risky gender norms. Generalized estimating equation analyses showed youth randomized to Prepared had significant improvements compared to TEEN at T2 in HIV knowledge, sexual self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy for condom use. At T3, there were significant differences favoring Prepared in outcome expectancy for condom use, sexual self-efficacy, and intention for partner communication about HIV/AIDS or STIs. Analyses by gender showed program effects in both boys (intention to talk to a partner about condom use, abstinence self-efficacy, sexual self-efficacy, and condom outcome expectancy) and girls (gender norms, and abstinence outcome expectancy). Prepared effectively reduced risk in young adolescents. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01880450, Protocol ID: 2008-551.

Engaging and sustaining adolescents in community-based participatory research: structuring a youth-friendly community-based participatory research environment.

Community-Based Participatory Research partnerships typically do not include adolescents as full community partners. However, partnering with adolescents can enhance the success and sustainability of adolescent health interventions. We partnered with adolescents to address health disparities in a low-income urban community. In partnering with youth, it is important to consider their developmental stage and needs to better engage and sustain their involvement. We also learned the value of a Youth Development framework and intentionally structuring a youth-friendly Community-Based Participatory Research environment. Finally, we will raise some ethical responsibilities to consider when working with youth partners.

What Would Your Journal Say if It Could Talk Back? Using Dialogue Journals as a Technique in Adolescent HIV/STI Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion Programs.

Dialogue journaling is a technique that is useful for enhancing the goals of sexual health promotion and HIV/STI prevention programs with 14 to 17 year old at-risk youth. Included is a detailed lesson plan on how to implement dialogue journaling in this context; a discussion of advantages and concerns about using them; and future implications for its use.

The Turn the Tables Technique (T(3)): A Program Activity to Provide Group Facilitators Insight into Teen Sexual Behaviors and Beliefs.

The Turn the Tables Technique (T(3)) is an activity designed to provide group facilitators who lead HIV/STI prevention and sexual health promotion programs with detailed and current information on teenagers' sexual behaviors and beliefs. This information can be used throughout a program to tailor content. Included is a detailed lesson plan of T(3), a description of the purpose of T(3), how it was implemented, the context in which it was used, how T(3) addressed common challenges in HIV prevention with teenagers, and future implications for its use.