An Evaluation of the Many Ways of Being Program

Child Trends is collaborating with Equimundo and the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) to evaluate the Many Ways of Being (MWB) program. MWB is an eight-session gender-transformative, trauma-informed sexual health program aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviors and preventing unintended teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The program’s goals include shifting unequal gender attitudes and behaviors, as well as providing skills-building training around forming and maintaining healthy relationships and making healthy, informed sexual decisions.

The MWB program was developed by Equimundo—in partnership with the Healthy Teen Network and with feedback from teens—to be evaluated by Child Trends with Black and Latino adolescents ages 15 to 19 in the greater Washington, DC area. The program builds off of the existing Manhood 2.0 program, which demonstrated promising results in a previous pilot evaluation.

Research Approach

Child Trends is conducting a randomized control trial to assess the MWB program’s effects on the incidence of unprotected sex among adolescents and on key mediators (knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and intentions) related to sexual health-promoting behaviors. LAYC and Child Trends will enroll approximately 700 youth ages 15 to 19 from schools and community centers. These youth will be randomly assigned to receive either MWB (treatment) or a control curriculum focused on job readiness. Using youth survey data from baseline, post-intervention, and 9-12 months after program completion—as well as implementation data and qualitative findings from youth focus groups—the evaluation will assess program fidelity, youth perceptions of the program, and impacts on sexual health outcomes.