Seattle-King County Public Health Department

Intervention Name: Stepping Stones

Project Overview: The Seattle-King County Public Health Department (Public Health – Seattle & King County), in partnership with Policy & Research Group, is conducting a randomized controlled trial of Stepping Stones, a healthy relationship program for male-identifying and nonbinary youth who can start a pregnancy and are at risk for or involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems. The program aims to prevent unintended teen pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and intimate partner violence by covering topics on birth control, condoms, STI testing and treatment, sexual and reproductive health access, communication skills, and healthy relationship skills. Over the course of up to six weeks, the program is delivered through four individualized health education sessions (each 30-50 minutes) using motivational interviewing and social network theory. The study will enroll 650 youth from juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems.

Intervention Population of Focus: Male identifying and nonbinary youth ages 12-19 years old who can start a pregnancy and are at risk of or involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems

Intervention Type (e.g., curriculum, web-based, training, other): Curriculum