Study Details
Coyle, K., Basen-Engquist, K., Kirby, D., Parcel, G., Banspach, S., Harrist, R., et al. (1999). Short-term impact of Safer Choices: A multicomponent, school-based HIV, other STD, and pregnancy prevention program. Journal of School Health, 69(5), 181-88.
Coyle, K., Basen-Engquist, K., Kirby, D., Parcel, G., Banspach, S., Collins, J., et al. (2001). Safer Choices: Reducing teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs. Public Health Reports, 116(6), 82-93.
Basen-Engquist, K., Coyle, K., Parcel, G., Kirby, D., Banspach, S., Carvajal, S. (2001). Schoolwide effects of a multicomponent HIV, STD, and pregnancy prevention program for high school students. Health Education & Behavior, 28(2), 166-185.
Kirby, D. B., Baumler, E., Coyle, K. K., Basen-Engquist, K., Parcel, G. S., Harrist, R., et al. (2004). The "Safer Choices" intervention: Its impact on the sexual behaviors of different
Safer Choices
Program Information
Evaluation Setting
Study Sample
Research Design
3869
3
12
Study Findings
NA = Not available. This means the authors did not report the information in the manuscripts associated with the studies we reviewed.
a This information was not available whenever authors did not report information for the treatment and comparison groups separately on outcome means, standard deviations, and/or sample sizes.
b Authors reported that the program effect (impact) estimate is statistically significant with a p-value of less than 0.05 based on a two-tailed test.
c For some outcomes, having less of that outcome is favorable. In those cases, an effect with a negative sign is favorable to the treatment group (that is, the treatment group had a more favorable outcome than the comparison group, on average).
d An effect shows credibly estimated, statistically significant evidence whenever it has a p-value of less than 0.05 based on a two-tailed test, includes the appropriate adjustment for clustering (if applicable), and it is not based on an endogenous subgroup.
The program was evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 20 high schools in southeastern Texas and northern California. Ten schools were randomly select to implement the Safer Choices program and 10 were randomly selected to implement a five-session knowledge-based curriculum about the consequences of unprotected sex, contraception, STDs, and HIV. Surveys were administered to incoming 9th grade students in fall and spring of their 9th grade year and spring of their 10th and 11th grade years.
The study found that when the curriculum ended in spring of 9th and 10th grades, among the subgroup of students who were sexually experienced at baseline, the students in the schools implementing the program were more likely to have used a condom and to have used an effective contraceptive method the last time they had sex. A year after the curriculum ended in the spring of 11th grade, program impacts on condom use and contraceptive use were no longer statistically significant. The study did not find evidence of statistically significant program impacts on rates of sexual initiation.
The study also examined program impacts on measures of frequency of sexual activity and number of sexual partners in the last three months. Findings for these outcomes 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.