Rigorous Evaluation of Yes and Know, a Fully Virtual Sexual Health and Well-Being Intervention for Youth

Overview

This study is a 2-arm cluster randomized controlled trial with approximately 1,200 youth aged 14-19 years to assess the effectiveness of Yes and Know, a sexual health education program. To be eligible, participants must be 14-19 years old and English-speaking. Those in the treatment arm will receive Yes and Know, a synchronous virtual program delivered over multiple sessions totaling nine hours, along with asynchronous online activities and resources. Those in the control arm will receive a similarly structured program focused on nutrition education. Participants will complete brief online surveys at baseline and at 3 and 12 months after the synchronous sessions. The study will assess the program's effectiveness in reducing the prevalence of unprotected sex among youth and improving short-term outcomes, such as knowledge of reproductive health and healthy relationships, self-efficacy, and the use of reproductive health services.

For the Yes and Know study, cohorts of 5-25 participants will be recruited and randomized into one of the two study conditions: Yes and Know: Life Skills intervention (intervention condition) or Yes and Know: Nutrition Skills intervention (comparison condition). The programs will be delivered by trained health educators through synchronous virtual sessions. Participants can access the supplemental resources and activities for their respective programs on the program's website. Participants will be recruited by local community partners (with a focus on rural communities in the South and Southeast regions of the United States) as well as paid advertising on social media platforms. Young people must have consent and provide their assent to be part of the study. Yes and Know: Sexual Health and Life Skills covers sexual and reproductive health, healthy relationships, life skills, and educational and career success. Yes and Know: Nutrition Skills covers learning to make healthy decisions about food, weight and disordered eating, and creating nourishing meals. Both programs consist of nine 60-minute synchronous group sessions, totaling nine hours, to be taught at least once a week (or more frequently depending on cohort scheduling).