Wrapped
Reducing sexually transmitted infections amongst those at highest risk:
The Wrapped Randomised Controlled Trial
Reducing the rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) amongst young people is a public health priority. Last year in England, 210,000 15-24-year olds were diagnosed with a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), half of all total diagnoses. If individuals experience symptoms, they can be unpleasant and painful. Often though, STIs have no symptoms and individuals unknowingly pass them on to others. Without treatment, STIs can have serious consequences such as infertility which negatively impact on quality of life.
Why Wrapped?
The cost to the National Health Service (NHS) of treating STIs is estimated to be £620 million per year. Each individual case of STI is preventable. The only way for sexually active people to avoid STIs is to use a condom, but young people report inconsistent use. A missed opportunity to intervene to increase condom use is when they access web-based STI self-sampling kits. Young people are increasingly being tested via this route every year in England. Demand for this service is rising rapidly. Users include groups known to be most at risk of future STIs, such as those from poorer backgrounds.
Together with young people and health professionals, we have developed a website called ‘Wrapped’. It aims to reduce future STI diagnoses amongst users of STI self-sampling websites through increasing their condom use.
What is the Wrapped website?
After placing an order for a self-sampling kit, users are immediately directed to Wrapped. Here they are asked to identify their main barriers to condom use before being allocated up to six different components. Components include a condom sample pack, access to a free monthly condom ordering service, a free condom carrier, a condom demonstration video, videos of young people giving tips on communicating about condoms, and videos of real couples discussing and using condoms.
What are we going to do?
- the Wrapped website offers a condom sample pack, condom carrier, condom postal service, video and written advice
- it represents young people of different ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities
- aims to increase condom efficacy and reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
The Wrapped randomised controlled trial has been funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) with the project beginning in November 2024.
The research is led by the Public Health and Behaviour Change Laboratory (PHAB Lab) team, at the University of Hertfordshire. The PHAB Lab are a team of researchers with expertise in health behaviours.
Project Start Date: November 2024
Project End Date: October 2028
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
Feasibility Randomised Control Trial
The aims for the feasibility randomised control trial:
- identify if recruitment and retention numbers of participants required for an RCT, can be obtained
- work with a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group to develop materials and procedures, that will attract young people to an RCT and keep them engaged throughout
- select materials and procedures based on evidence of what has worked in the past but also on feedback from other young people sought via focus groups
- monitor engagement and interview participants, including those who drop-out, to see what we can learn about what it is like to be a participant in our study.
Qualitative analysis indicated that:
- young people found joining the study, and completing the surveys and test kits, a straightforward process
- young people found communication from the research team was pitched right; it made them feel engaged in the study and connected to the research team but without being excessive
- the intervention was acceptable to young people and reportedly changed their condom related beliefs and behaviours.
The feasibility randomised control trial concluded that the Wrapped intervention is acceptable, and that a full definitive trial is feasible.
Intervention Mapping Study
Our aim was to develop a theory-based tailored intervention to increase condom use for 16-24-years-olds accessing chlamydia self-sampling websites.
- the Wrapped website was developed using Intervention Mapping and was co-designed with young people. Taking into consideration important determinants of condom use and evidence of their changeability using computer and digital interventions
- barriers to condom use were identified by users, including:
- a sample box of condoms
- an online condom distribution service
- a product for carrying condoms
- a condom demonstration video
- a series of videos on communication about condom use
- erotic films of real couples discussing and demonstrating condom use.
- this intervention will be directed at young people who may be particularly receptive to messages and support for behaviour change due to their testing status.
Contact us
We’d love to hear any questions or comments you might have about the study: wrapped@herts.ac.uk
Privacy
Download our privacy notice (DOCX - 0.04 Mb).
Disclaimer: This output is the result of independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR Public Health Research, NIHR157903 - Reducing sexually transmitted infections amongst those at highest risk: The Wrapped randomised controlled trial) The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health and Social Care.
