142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

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Planned Parenthood's Chat/Text program: Reaching adolescents with urgent sexual and reproductive health questions

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Jennifer Johnsen, MPH , Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY
Leslie Kantor, MPH , Vice President of Education, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY
Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW , Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY
James Jaccard, PhD , Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, New York University Silver School of Social Work, New York, NY
Young people are increasingly utilizing mobile and internet technology to seek sexual and reproductive health information. It is essential to better understand how that technology can be used to meet their needs in accessing information and care. In order to capitalize on the ubiquity of technology in young people’s lives, Planned Parenthood developed a Chat/Text interactive internet and mobile technology program, targeted towards youth (15-24), particularly African-American and Latino youth.  This program allows young people to anonymously address urgent sexual and reproductive health concerns following unprotected sex when worry levels are high and there is imminent need to access care. The program is showing promising results with high levels of expressed intentions to undertake health-promoting behaviors after the interactions. We are about to launch an efficacy trial for of Chat/Text, to get further insight into how well this intervention is working to change relevant health behaviors, such as taking emergency contraception when desired, seeing a health care provider, or using an effective birth control method.

This presentation will include a description of the program, a look into the forthcoming efficacy trial, and highlights of the most recent data collected and analyzed (demographics of users and post-test results including change in worry level, intention to take next steps discussed in the conversation, satisfaction with service, and health center referrals). As technology takes on ever greater significance in adolescents’ lives, public health professionals must determine how to harness it to improve the sexual health of this population. Chat/Text is one such effort.

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe characteristics of and outcomes for users of a chat and text sexual health hotline.

Keyword(s): Technology, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Leslie Kantor, MPH, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Vice President of Education, is a widely respected leader in the field of sexual and reproductive health, with over two decades of experience in sex education. Since arriving at PPFA, Ms. Kantor has led efforts to develop innovative, technology-based approaches to sex education, partnered with affiliates to strengthen programs and evaluation, served as a national spokesperson, and spearheaded PPFA’s policy efforts related to sex education.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.