title: Girl Talk: A Smartphone Application to Teach Sexual Health Education to Adolescent Girls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Produce Girl Talk, a free smartphone application containing comprehensive sexual health information, and determine the application's desirability and appeal among teenage girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine girls ages 12 to 17 years from Rhode Island participated in a 2-phase prospective study. In phase I, 22 girls assessed a sexual health questionnaire in focus groups. In phase II, 17 girls with iPhones used Girl Talk for 2 weeks and answered the revised sexual health questionnaire and interview questions before and after use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants' responses to the sexual health questionnaire, interviews, and time viewing the application were used to determine feasibility and desirability of Girl Talk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Girl Talk was used on average for 48 minutes during participants' free time on weekends for 10- to 15-minute intervals. Reported usefulness of Girl Talk as a sexual health application from baseline (6 participants) to follow-up (16 participants) increased significantly (35.3% vs 94.1%; P < .001). Knowledge improved most in topics related to anatomy and physiology (70.5% to 74.7% out of 7 questions), sexuality and relationships (76.5% to 80.0% out of 10 questions), and STI prevention (75.6% to 79.0% out of 7 questions). Most phase II participants (13 out of 17, or 76.5%) were exposed to sexual health education before using Girl Talk, but 16 out of 17 participants (94.1%) stated that the application provided new and/or more detailed information than health classes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Girl Talk can potentially connect teenage girls to more information about sexual health vs traditional methods, and participants recommended the application as a valuable resource to learn about comprehensive sexual health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Electronic address: Lynae_Brayboy@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Lynae M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Brayboy
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island; School of Public Health at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sepolen
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mezoian
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Education, School of Education, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Benedict S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Landgren-Mills
authors.affiliation: Gender Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Noelle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012237:Rhode Island; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000068997:Smartphone; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adolescent; Health care smartphone applications; Health education; Prospective studies; Reproductive health; Sexual behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Surveys and questionnaires