RESEARCH

Plan A has been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors. It is available for replication as an evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program.

Randomized Controlled Trial
An independently conducted randomized controlled trial enrolled 1,770 Latina and Black females aged 18-19 randomly assigned to watch Plan A (n = 886) or a control video (n = 884) before a reproductive health clinic visit. Compared to women in the control condition, at 3-months post-intervention, Plan A viewers had increased STI and HIV testing, increased contraceptive knowledge, heightened HIV/STI risk perception, and increased long-acting reversible contraception use among new clinic visitors. At 9-months post intervention, Plan A viewers had lower frequency of unprotected sex. Plan A viewers were also more likely to discuss sexual health topics with providers.

Acceptability Studies
Results from three independent acceptability studies found Plan A resonates strongly with young women as well as clinic staff. This includes a study finding that the video was highly acceptable to a broader audience of Black, Latina, and White young women ages 16-19.

PUBLICATION  |  January 22, 2023
Plan A intervention outcomes: The Policy and Research Group publishes the first of two papers from the Plan A randomized controlled trial

This paper covers the 3-month post-intervention outcomes, which include higher contraceptive knowledge, HIV/STI risk perception, STI testing, and LARC uptake. 

Jenner E, Walsh S, Henley C, Demby H, Leger R, Falk G. Randomized Trial of a Sexual Health Video Intervention for Black and Hispanic Adolescent Females. Prevention Science. 2023. Online ahead of print.

PUBLICATION  |  July 1, 2019
Sentient Research publishes article in the journal Health Promotion Practice on Plan A

Aaron Plant, Vice President of Sentient Research, and colleagues published an article on the development of the Plan A intervention.

Plant A, Montoya JA, Snow EG, Coyle K, Rietmeijer C. Developing a Video Intervention to Prevent Unplanned Pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Older Adolescents. Health Promotion Practice. 2019;20(4):593-599.

VIDEO SCREENING  |  November 14, 2018
Plan A debuts at the 2018 American Public Health Association (APHA) Global Public Health Film Festival

Plan A was one of very few behavior change interventions to screen at APHA’s Global Public Health Film Festival.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS  |  November 10, 2018
Two presentations about Plan A at the 2018 annual meeting for the American Public Health Association (APHA) in San Diego, CA

Sentient Research staff gave two presentations on Plan A at the 2018 Annual Conference for the American Public Health Association (APHA) in San Diego. The first presentation investigated acceptability the Plan A video intervention. The second presentation covered methods used by Sentient Research for engaging adolescents in the development of sexual and reproductive health interventions, including human-centered design.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATION |  September 20, 2016
Presentation on the development of Plan A at the 2016 National Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention Conference

Older adolescent African-American and Latina females experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancies and STDs. Sentient Research created a new video intervention for this population by adapting the model created for Safe in the City, a soap-opera style video found to reduce STD infections among clinic patients by nearly 10%.