A Tailored Interactive Website for Promoting Condom Use Among Young Adults
Condition: HIV Infections; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
MeSH terms: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      This study will develop and evaluate the effectiveness of tailored web-based messages in
      promoting condom use among young adults.
    

Detailed description: 
      Adolescents and young adults are at the greatest risk for acquiring a sexually transmitted
      disease (STD). Approximately 3 million people between the ages of 18 and 24 become infected
      with an STD each year. Education about the risks and consequences of unprotected sex is a
      powerful tool that can be used to prevent or reduce the risk of infection. The program in
      this study will deliver messages to educate participants about condom use and the risk of STD
      infection. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored interactive online risk
      reduction program versus a standard online risk reduction program in reducing the risk of STD
      infection in young adults.

      Participants in this open-label study will be recruited from one of two clinics in the
      Denver, Colorado area: Denver Metropolitan Health Clinic or Planned Parenthood of the Rocky
      Mountains. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive internet-based messages from
      either the Youthnet program or the control program while filling out a risk assessment
      survey. Participants in the Youthnet program will be asked their gender and ethnicity so they
      may be assigned to a role model of the same gender and ethnicity via a computer program. This
      role model will appear online 5 times during the survey to deliver interactive messages that
      will be tailored to HIV/STD risk reduction and will specifically address attitudes about
      condom usage. The control program will deliver 5 general, non-tailored messages containing
      information on reproductive health not specific to condoms or STDs. Participants will be
      assessed at baseline and a follow-up session 3 months after enrollment. Frequency of condom
      use and attitudes toward condom use will be assessed using behavioral scales.
    

Intervention name(s): Internet-based tailored prevention messages; Non-tailored messages
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will receive five 30-second flash clips promoting condom norms, positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and risk awareness. Participants in the Youthnet program will be asked their gender and ethnicity so they may be assigned to a role model of the same gender and ethnicity via a computer program. This role model will appear online 5 times during the survey to deliver interactive messages that will be tailored to HIV/STD risk reduction and will specifically address attitudes about condom usage.; The control program will deliver five general, non-tailored messages containing information on reproductive health not specific to condoms or STDs.
Other intervention name(s): Youthnet
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Internet; Interactive Computer Program; HIV Prevention