#TranscendentHealth: A Text Messaging Pregnancy Prevention Program for Transgender Boys (THPP)

July 1, 2026 updated by: Michele Ybarra, Center for Innovative Public Health Research

#TranscendentHealth - Adapting an LGB+ Inclusive Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program for Transgender Boys

Transgender and gender-diverse young people who were assigned female at birth (AFAB), including transgender boys, nonbinary youth, and others, face real sexual health disparities. Existing pregnancy and HIV prevention programs are designed for cisgender girls and do not meet the needs of AFAB trans youth, leaving this group without programs that speak to their lives.

#TranscendentHealth is a text messaging sexual health program developed specifically for AFAB transgender and gender-diverse youth ages 14 to 18. It builds on Girl2Girl, a program shown to improve sexual health behaviors in LGB+ cisgender girls, and updates the content to reflect the identities, relationships, and health needs of AFAB trans youth.

The study has two parts. In the first part, AFAB trans youth help shape the program through focus groups, Content Advisory Teams (youth review panels that give feedback on program messages), and a small pilot test. In the second part, a national randomized controlled trial enrolls 467 AFAB transgender youth ages 14 to 18 across the United States. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either #TranscendentHealth or a general sexual health text messaging program. Both programs are delivered entirely by text message over 5 months, with no in-person visits required. Youth complete short online surveys at the start of the program, at program end (5 months), and at 3 and 6 months after the program ends.

The study's main goals are to determine whether #TranscendentHealth improves rates of condom-protected sex, use of other birth control methods (such as the pill, shot, or IUD), and HIV/STI testing. Secondary goals include reducing unintended pregnancy, increasing PrEP uptake among eligible participants, and improving intentions to use sexual health services.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background

AFAB transgender and gender-diverse youth experience substantial sexual health disparities yet are largely absent from evidence-based prevention programs. Pilot data from an earlier cohort recruited by Dr. Ybarra show that, compared with cisgender girls, AFAB trans youth are less likely to use barrier protection at last sex (p < 0.5) and at least as likely to experience adolescent pregnancy. Programs designed for cisgender girls do not address the social stressors these youth face (including discrimination, gender dysphoria, and rejection) and do not affirm their gender identities. As a result, these programs have limited uptake and effectiveness in this population.

Intervention

#TranscendentHealth adapted Girl2Girl, an evidence-based text messaging sexual health program, for AFAB trans youth. The resulting program addresses condom use, birth control options, HIV/STI testing, PrEP, gender-affirming care, dysphoria, and relationships as experienced by AFAB trans youth. The control arm delivers a universal (not gender-tailored) sexual health text messaging program with a comparable number of messages.

Study Design

National RCT (Aim 2):

A total of 467 AFAB trans youth ages 14-18 are recruited nationally through social media (Instagram and Facebook) and randomized 1:1 to intervention or control, stratified by gender (transgender boy vs. nonbinary) and sexual experience at baseline. A permuted block randomization procedure is used. All study procedures are conducted remotely: online screener, telephone enrollment, text messaging program, and online surveys. No in-person contact is required.

Participants complete assessments at baseline, program end (month 5), 3 months after program end, and 6 months after program end. Participants receive graduated incentives.

Recruitment targets are set to ensure diversity: at least 25% Hispanic, 28% multiracial, 15% Black/African American, 30% from low-income households, and approximately equal representation across urban, suburban, and rural settings. Approximately 40% of the RCT sample will be sexually inexperienced at baseline.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

467

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Assigned female sex at birth
  • Does not have an exclusively cisgender gender identity (e.g., identifies as transgender boy, nonbinary, gender fluid, or unsure of gender identity)
  • Age 14 to 18 years and has not yet graduated from high school
  • Exclusive owner of a cell phone with an unlimited text messaging plan
  • Has access to the Internet to complete online surveys
  • Plans to keep the same cell phone number for at least the next 6 months
  • Able to provide informed assent (ages 14-17) or consent (age 18), including the capacity to do so
  • Has not participated in a prior #TranscendentHealth study activity and does not know anyone currently enrolled in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Has graduated from high school
  • Has participated in a prior #TranscendentHealth study activity (focus groups, Content Advisory Teams, or beta test)
  • Knows another person currently enrolled in the study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: #TranscendentHealth
Participants receive a gender-tailored text messaging sexual health program over 5 months. Program content addresses condom use, birth control options, HIV/STI testing, PrEP, gender-affirming care, sexual relationships, gender dysphoria, and social stressors relevant to AFAB transgender youth. The program includes a Text Buddy feature for peer-to-peer support with a matched participant, and interactive achievement Badges.
Behavioral: #TranscendentHealth
A 5-month text messaging sexual health program for AFAB transgender and gender-diverse youth ages 14-18, adapted from the Girl2Girl program. Content is gender-inclusive and addresses sexual health protective behaviors, gender-affirming care, relationships, and social stressors specific to AFAB trans youth. Delivered entirely via text message; no in-person contact is required.
Active Comparator: Universal Sexual Health Program
Participants receive a universal (non-gender-tailored) sexual health text messaging program over the same 5-month period. The program delivers a comparable number of messages covering general adolescent sexual health education that is not tailored by gender identity. This arm does not include the Text Buddy peer-support feature.
Behavioral: Universal Sexual Health Program
5-month general (non-gender-tailored) text messaging sexual health program covering contraception, STI testing, and healthy relationships - same duration and message volume as Arm 1, no Text Buddy feature

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of Condom-Protected Sex
Time Frame: Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
The number of sex acts in the past 90 days divided by the number of sex acts in which a condom was used, assessed separately for penile-vaginal sex, penile-anal sex, sex with a sex toy and vagina, and sex with a sex toy and anus.
Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
% of Participants who Report Use of Birth Control Other Than Condoms
Time Frame: Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
The number of youth who report using any other type of birth control (i.e., oral contraceptive pill, injectable contraceptive (Depo-Provera), vaginal ring (NuvaRing), transdermal patch (Xulane), intrauterine device (IUD, e.g., Paragard), or subdermal implant (e.g., Implanon)) divided by the number of youth in the cohort.
Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
Rate of HIV and STI Testing
Time Frame: Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
The percent of participants who report being tested for HIV, and being tested for STIs other than HIV, since the last survey.
Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
% of Participants who Report an Unintended Pregnancy
Time Frame: Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
The number of youth who report an unintended pregnancy divided by the number of youth in the cohort. Assessed since the last survey (follow-up assessments) and ever (baseline).
Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
Rate of PrEP Use
Time Frame: Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
Among participants who meet clinical criteria indicating PrEP use (based on reported sexual behaviors), this will be the number of youth who report having used pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) divided by the total number of youth who are eligible for PrEP.
Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
Relative Magnitude of Sexual Health Behavioral Intentions
Time Frame: Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end
Using scales adapted for this intervention, continuous measures will be created by summing the responses to 5-point Likert scale items that reflect: Intentions to use condoms, initiate birth control, get tested for HIV/STIs, and discuss PrEP with a healthcare provider. Both sexually experienced and inexperienced participants will provide responses to these scales.
Month 5 (program end), 3 months post-program end, 6 months post-program end

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Center for Innovative Public Health Research

Collaborators

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

June 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 1, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R01NR020846 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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