Evaluation of stepping stones: a program to improve relationships and sexual health for systems-involved youth - public health - seattle & king county, in partnership with policy & research group…

Evaluation of stepping stones: a program to improve relationships and sexual health for systems-involved youth - public health - seattle & king county, in partnership with policy & research group (PRG), proposes to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the stepping stones program as part of the OPA teen pregnancy prevention program (tier 2B). Stepping stones: improving relationships and sexual health is a 4-session, 1-on-1 health education program for male-identifying and nonbinary young people at risk of or involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems. IT is a theory-driven, trauma-informed intervention, resting on motivational interviewing and social network theory to drive behavior change. Stepping stones aims to prevent teen pregnancy, HIV and other stis, and intimate partner violence. Stepping stones will be tested using a randomized controlled trial involving 650 young people randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive either stepping stones or a time-equivalent control condition involving no sexual and reproductive health content. Study coordinators will recruit participants on a rolling basis through partner agencies that serve youth involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems. Participants will be surveyed at baseline, 3 months post-intervention and 9-months post-intervention. The study will explore the impact of stepping stones on frequency of condom use, number of sexual partners, receipt of STI testing, and intimate partner violence perpetration, as well as other behavioral and psychosocial antecedents and behaviors in the theory of change.