Evidence-Based Programs
Health Improvement Projects for Teens (HIP Teens)
Overview of the Intervention
HIP Teens is a four-session sexual risk reduction intervention designed to reduce sexual risk behavior among low-income, urban, sexually active adolescent girls. The four sessions are delivered weekly in small groups by trained facilitators. During the sessions, participants receive information on HIV, learn communication and decision-making skills, and receive instruction on contraceptive methods. Additional booster sessions are delivered three and six months after the program.
Intervention Components
Component 1: Intervention Sessions
Four weekly, 120-minute sessions are delivered by trained facilitators to small groups of six to nine adolescent females. The sessions involve games, interactive group activities, and skits, and progress from practicing basic skills to more complex topics. They cover the following topics:
Component 2: Booster Sessions
Booster sessions are administered in small groups three and six months after the end of the intervention. The two 90-minute booster sessions are designed as “reunion” sessions for the groups and intended to reinforce program messages.
Theoretical Framework
Study Citation: Morrison-Beedy, D., Jones, S. H., Xia, Y., Tu, X., Crean, H. F., & Carey, M. P. (2013). Reducing sexual risk behavior in adolescent girls: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(3), 314–321.
Study setting: Participants were recruited in youth development centers, adolescent heath service centers, and school-based centers in upstate New York.
Study Sample: 639 sexually active girls ages 15 to 19
Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. About half the participants were randomly selected to receive the intervention and half were randomly selected for a health promotion control condition that received general health information on nutrition, breast health, and anger management. Surveys were administered immediately before random assignment (baseline) and at 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention.
Study Rating: The study met the review criteria for a high study rating.
Study Findings:
Three months after the intervention: The study found no statistically significant program impacts on the rate or frequency of vaginal sex, the rate or frequency of unprotected vaginal sex, or the number of sexual partners.
Six months after the intervention:
Twelve months after the intervention: The study found no statistically significant program impacts on the rate or frequency of vaginal sex, the rate or frequency of unprotected vaginal sex, or the number of sexual partners.
The study also examined program impacts on measures of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection, and unprotected sex with a “steady” partner and “non-steady” partner. Findings for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection were not considered for this review because the measures were assessed for only about half (51 percent) of the study sample. Findings for the measures of unprotected sex with a steady and non-steady partner were not considered for this review because they fall outside the scope of the review.
Curriculum Materials
Guidelines for implementing the intervention sessions and a list of required supplies and materials are provided in an accompanying intervention manual.
