Evidence-Based Programs
Promoting Health Among Teens - Comprehensive Abstinence and Safer Sex Intervention (PHAT-Comprehensive)
Overview of the Intervention
This comprehensive abstinence and safe sex intervention provides youth with information about abstinence, safer sex practices, pregnancy prevention, and the prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is designed to improve awareness and knowledge about HIV/STIs; increase understanding of how abstinence can prevent pregnancy, STIs, and HIV; strengthen behavioral beliefs that support condom use; and build refusal and negotiation skills for practicing abstinence as well as for effective use of condoms.
The intervention consists of up to 12 modules, delivered over two or three consecutive Saturdays for a period of 8 or 12 hours. Trained facilitators follow the intervention manual to implement the program, which is structured around group discussions, videos, games, brainstorming activities, skill-building, and experiential exercise. Four of the modules are targeted specifically to encouraging abstinence, four are targeted to encouraging condom use, and four cover general content related to HIV/STI knowledge.
Intervention Components
Module Outline:
Target population evaluated:
Program setting evaluated: Middle schools in low-income communities
Theoretical Framework
Study Citation: Jemmott, J. B., III, Jemmott, L. S., & Fong, G. T. (2010). Efficacy of a theory-based abstinence-only intervention over 24 months: A randomized controlled trial with young adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 164(2), 152-159.
Study setting: Saturday program offered to students attending four public middle schools in a low-income African American community in the northeastern United States.
Study Sample: African American students in grades 6 and 7
Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Study participants were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: (1) an 8-hour abstinence-only intervention; (2) an 8-hour safer sex-only intervention; (3) an 8-hour comprehensive abstinence and safer sex intervention; (4) a 12-hour comprehensive abstinence and safer sex intervention; or (5) an 8-hour general health-promotion program that served as a control group. Surveys were administered immediately before the intervention (baseline) and at five later periods—3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after baseline. The effectiveness of each intervention was assessed relative to the control group. This report focuses only on the effectiveness of the comprehensive abstinence and safer sex intervention.
Study Rating: The study met the review criteria for a high study rating.
Study Findings:
Averaged across the five follow-up periods:
The study also examined program impacts on consistency of condom use. Findings for this measure were not considered for the review because they did not meet the review evidence standards. Specifically, findings were reported only for subgroups of youth defined by sexual activity at follow up.
Curriculum Materials
Curriculum materials are available from ETR at www.etr.org/ebi/programs/promoting-health-among-teens-comprehensive