Alternative approaches to Reducing Teenage Pregnancy in Rural Communities in Peru

The novel intervention involves a mobile clinic staffed by a gynecologist and a psychologist who travel to public high schools to provide sexual health counseling over consecutive days per site. Alongside the mobile clinic intervention, we also evaluate the impact of a traditional teacher training program.

2022-08-15

2023-08-15

1. Teenage Pregnancy
2. School Dropout
3. Academic Performance

1. Self-Reported Incidence of Risky Sexual Activity
2. Female Aspirations
3. Knowledge about Contraception Methods
4. Mental Health

1. An index of Self-Reported Incidence of Risky Sexual Activity will be constructed using the following variables from the endline survey:
- Respondent has engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse in the last 12 months [Q7.A.9]
- Respondent has never used a method to avoid pregnancy [Q8.A.1]
- In a hypothetical situation, respondent would not ask her partner to wear a condom during sex [Q9.A.2]
- In a hypothetical situation, respondent would not refuse to have sex with her partner if he did not want to wear a condom [Q9.A.3]

2. An index of Female Aspirations will be constructed using the following variables from the endline survey:
- Respondent thinks she will graduate from high school (if applicable) [Q1.3]
- Respondent thinks she will study at university (if applicable) [Q1.4]
- Respondent thinks she will graduate from college (if applicable) [Q1.8]
- Respondent wants to move to a bigger city or abroad [Q1.9]
- Respondent thinks she will not become pregnant before turning 20 years old [Q4.C.1]

3. One or more indeces related to Knowledge about Contraception Methods will be constructed using the following variables from the endline survey:
- Respondent knows to avoid reusing condoms [Q3.A.1]
- Respondent knows condoms have an expiration date [Q3.A.2]
- Respondent knows how to put on a condom [Q3.A.3]
- Respondent knows that condoms are an effective method of preventing pregnancy [Q3.C.1]
- Respondent knows that the withdrawal method is not as effective as using a condom to prevent pregnancy [Q3.C.2]
- Respondent is aware that using condoms consistently and right can prevent STIs [Q3.B.1]
- Respondent is aware that using pills consistently and right does not prevent STIs [Q3.B.2]

4. Mental Health will be measured using the GAD-7 Questionnaire included in the endline survey.

The study is designed as a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with two treatment arms and a control group. We randomized 120 schools evenly across three groups. A third of schools were assigned to Treatment Arm 1 (T1), which consists of only the mobile clinic intervention; another 40 schools were assigned to Treatment Arm 2 (T2) including both the mobile clinic intervention and the teacher training course; and 40 schools serve as the control group (CG).

Not available

Randomization done in office by a computer

School

Yes

120 schools

5000 female teenagers

40 schools per treatment arm