H25 The social and educational impact of attending an huntington’s disease specific camp

Friendship, and wider peer relationships, contribute to young people's sense of safety and wellbeing (Blakemore, 2018; Cossar et al., 2013; Foshee et al., 2014; Roesch-Marsh & Emond, 2021). Moreover, during adolescence the significance and influence of young people's peer relationships have been found to intensify in many countries around the world (Blakemore, 2018; Coleman, 2011). Nevertheless, recognising this has failed to ensure that child protection or wider safeguarding systems and interventions take account of young people's friendships or wider peer relationships when supporting those affected by violence and abuse. On the contrary there is evidence that many social work responses disregard peers, while centring family relationships, in their efforts to safeguard young people (Bracewell et al., 2020; Firmin, 2019, 2020; Johnson, 2017; Rogowski, 2012). Such an absence is notable given the role of friendship, and wider peer relationships, in young people's exposure to risk as well as protection. Multiple studies have found that young people are more, or as likely, to disclose concerns about abuse to their peers than their parents or other adults (Allnock & Atkinson, 2019; Barter, 2018; Brennan & McElvaney, 2020; Cossar et al., 2013). More broadly, positive attitudes can be reinforced through peer relationships. Peer influence can support pro-social behaviours and beliefs, such as healthy living (e.g. healthy eating and avoiding drugs and alcohol), equality, anti-discrimination and ambition (Laursen, 2018; Veenstra et al., 2018). In recognition of this, prevention programmes aimed at reducing rates of bullying, intimate partner violence and sexual harassment in schools have commonly sought to create opportunities for ‘bystander’ interventions, peer mentoring and buddying schemes, in which supportive and protective peer cultures are utilised and nurtured (Banyard et al., 2020; Foshee et al., 2014). Peer relationships also provide wider opportunities and contexts for pro-social activities and skill-building (Ramey et al., 2018; Veenstra et al., 2018). However, as already identified, peers can also be a source of harm. These harms can be perpetrated on and offline and can include a wide range of activities such as bullying, criminal and sexual exploitation and physical and sexual abuse. Peer victimisation is reported to be global problem impacting the welfare of significant numbers of young people around the world (UNICEF, 2019, 2020). In the year ending March 2018 the crime survey for England and Wales estimated that 4.4 per cent of children aged 10 to 15 years (423,000) had been a victim of violent crime in the previous 12 months (Office for National Statistics, 2018). For young people who participated in the survey, 92 per cent knew the person who had instigated violence against them. In 86 per cent of cases, they attended school together, and for 13 per cent, the instigator was identified as a friend (including boyfriend or girlfriend). In this special issue we present papers from Australia, China, Europe, Ghana and North America, which consider the role(s) of friendships and wider peer relationships. Despite their geographical spread, this body of work features numerous shared messages about the opportunities and challenges that come with considering peers in both informal and formal protective responses to young people in need of support and/or protection. They also point to the definitional, methodological, policy and practice gaps that warrant attention, for friendships and peer relationships to be sufficiently considered within child protection and wider safeguarding systems. The papers in this special issue consider the role of both friendship, and wider peer support networks and relationships, in safeguarding young people. The terms friend and peer have distinct but interrelated meanings which have implications for research and practice (Roesch-Marsh & Emond, 2021). Most of the papers contained in this issue illustrate that the different meanings these terms hold for young people and practitioners matter. For example, in Cudjoe et al.'s (2022) paper, young people from Ghana spoke about friends as important people who you have fun with but not necessarily someone to share difficulties with, such as dealing with parental mental health. The voluntary and informal nature of friendship means that young people are often left to deal with these issues alone. As authors Warrington et al. (2023) from the United Kingdom found in their exploration of friendship and peer support following sexual abuse, the support of friends can be vital for some but the sensitivity and understanding of friends can be variable and unreliable. In contrast, Cody et al. (2022) focused on structured peer support for young survivors of sexual violence across Europe and North America, defining peer support as ‘support provided by those with similar experiences’. This formalised peer support system was viewed as an additional or alternative support provision to that of informal friendship networks and ensured that peer supporters receive appropriate training and help. The unique nature of support from friends was described variably but primarily presented as something with potential to feel less emotionally charged, pressured or judgemental. Children commonly think that once their peers get to know about their parent's mental illness, they may cease to enjoy activities together. Therefore, it is important to keep silent about their parents' mental illness when around their peers to continue enjoying relationships with them. Likewise, in studies from the United Kingdom, Daw et al. (2022) identified that young people can feel ‘helpless’ and ‘fearful’ when their friends seek support around domestic abuse, and Warrington et al. found that precarious peer cultures were not always suitable for providing support in the aftermath of sexual violence. The challenges associated with accessing support through informal friendships appeared to be mitigated, at least to some extent, in more formal peer support structures. A study across Europe and North America found that shared peer experiences of sexual violence created a context conducive with peer support groups. Having shared experiences facilitated peer support that was relatable, credible and translatable, where young people were not judged (or fearful of judgement) when turning to peers for support. Similarly, in Ghana it was recommended that young people who shared a traumatic experience could be better placed to support one another and be less likely to bullying or judge. A third type of peer relationship was explored by Zhu (2023) in China. In this scenario, young people were not supported through existing friendships or organised around a shared experience of harm/abuse, but within schools through peer mentoring systems. In this form of peer support, younger pupils are matched with older young people who can then support them with the aim of reducing school bullying. However, the author notes that these hierarchical peer relationships might themselves feature power imbalances, with an age gap introducing the potential for exploitation and bullying. Reflecting other conclusions in this special issue, they point to the importance of education and practical support for young people who are positioned as mechanisms for peer support (be that formal or informal) to ensure that these relationships do not feel burdensome to the young people providing the support and that any help they offer is protective. Clear definitions are therefore crucial. Peer support through existing friendships, shared interest or experience groups or through a shared context all present unique challenges and opportunities, and consequently, the type of relationship being studied requires careful consideration. The best thing that I did was to be there for her [friend]. Not try and pressure her into breaking up with him, because that's, kind of, being just as bad as him, but, like, to just be emotionally there for her and make sure you're there to comfort her whenever she's down. (Young person 13–16) At first glance such a request appears relatively feasible. However, the collection of arguments made across this special issue highlight a range of considerations that would need to be addressed before this request can be met. The articles in this issue suggest that a non-judgemental approach is most reliable when coming from formal peer support structures, rather than informal friendship networks. The fear of shame, or being misunderstood, was mitigated either through shared experiences within the formal peer relationships in question, or through formal training and advice or professional support structures that equipped peers to be understanding and supportive. When the survivor [peer mentor] goes out and meets them, and they're able to see that their story is similar to theirs, and that they have been able to triumph in their own ways, it really creates the sense of hope for them. (Professional respondent 1, Organisation A) Cody et al. stress, however, that supporting and training these peer mentors requires time and resources and is not a cheap alternative to professional support. While acknowledging the unique value of formal peer support, articles in this issue also show that some young people seem to highly value the informality that came with support from friends. Moreover, various authors noted that support from friends was important due to their temporal proximity to young people during adolescence. Young people are with friends during the day at school, and in various out-of-school settings, creating numerous opportunities for support (Zhu, 2023). Such support included being a point of disclosure, providing comfort or emotional support, or acting as a conduit to professional support (Warrington et al.). However, for young people to provide this type and level of support, they require practical advice from adults; and to an extent, this again introduced a level of formality. Taken collectively, the contributions in this special issue suggest a balance needs to be struck and that both formal and informal pathways of support (likely across a continuum) are required. However, none of the contributions were able to clearly articulate what such a continuum might entail, as each focused on a single element. Nevertheless, this provides an important starting point to consider how this continuum might be conceptualised and provides a basis to understand how a young person's peer support needs might best be met. Recommendations to introduce elements of formality into friendship-support mechanisms largely stems from the identified challenges of integrating peer relationships into child protection and wider safeguarding practices. Young people reported concerns about how to maintain friendships while they were also experiencing safeguarding issues (Daw et al.). Seeking support from friends could result in bullying or isolation, when young people failed to understand how to support each other or judged friends negatively due to what they had experienced (Cudjoe et al., 2022). Friendships during adolescence are also dynamic, changing frequently, and with this comes a level of precarity. Reaching out to people who may not remain your friends over an extended period of time could be perceived as a risky endeavour. Consequently, young people surveyed in Australia stated that they were most likely to disclose abuse to their mother (about concerning behaviour of an adult, 68.7 per cent; or a peer, 63.1 per cent) followed by a friend (64.4 per cent; 57.9 per cent) (Russell & Higgins, 2023). Thus, family relationships remain very important and we should not assume that peers are always the first choice, or indeed best placed, to respond to young people who require support. Finally, there is a risk that some young people will feel (or be) burdened when supporting their friends or peers. Authors noted a need to mitigate any ‘responsibilisation’ that might be an unintended consequence of providing young people with the skills and formal space to support each other with experiences of abuse (Daw et al., 2022). For example, when young people were asked about the possibility of being approached by friends who were experiencing domestic abuse, they reported being concerned that they would feel fearful and helpless. All young people require a certain level of practical advice about the nature of abuse (in all its forms), how it impacts young people and what they can do if a friend approaches them for help. Such advice should not suggest that it is the young person's responsibility to prevent or disrupt harm; but instead ensure they are equipped to respond effectively if situations arise where their friends need support, including where they could go to seek more formal assistance. All the above challenges appeared particularly pronounced in situations of informal peer support, particularly support within existing friendships. Formal peer support structures, particularly for young people who had experienced issues such as sexual abuse, were designed to ensure young people were assisted to support each other and involved young people who all had similar experiences of abuse and therefore reduced the risk of being judged or misunderstood. The stories told in this special issue suggest not only that young people's friendships and peer relationships could play a role in safeguarding responses – but that they already do through both informal and formal routes. Nonetheless, far more work is required to understand the dynamics of this support and the best ways to maximise its potential and minimise its risks. There are methodological challenges and shortfalls with work completed to date. For the most part, researchers rely on gatekeeping organisations to speak to young people about their experiences of peer or friendship-based support and access to such organisations varies. In most countries featured in this special issue, the roles of peers have not been fully considered in practice or policy development, as the forms of peer support identified sit beyond formal response systems. Arguably, greater recognition by, and integration into, wider organisational responses to violence and abuse would provide the practical mechanisms required to safely maximise the potential for peer support. While the papers in this special issue draw upon experiences from a number of countries there remain gaps that warrant attention. First, it appears that gender may impact on the accessibility and availability of support from peers and friends. For example, girls and young women surveyed in Australia were more likely to seek support from peers than boys and young men (Russell & Higgins, 2023). Do we understand these gender differences, and are they reflected for various forms of harm and in different countries? More broadly, an intersectional account of friendship and peer support in safeguarding is required. How do the opportunities and concerns raised in this editorial vary in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, ability and so on? Moreover, what avenues of support do online peer relationships, through for example social media platforms, provide for support and how and in what ways do these online peer dynamics reflect or differ from those factors outlined in the current papers and for whom? The papers in this special issue provide a foundation for raising these important questions, although further research is required to answer them and of course this requires research funding bodies to recognise this as a central aspect of safeguarding for young people. We would like to thank all the authors who contributed to this special issue. We believe it brings together a wealth of knowledge but also raises challenging questions for both practice and policy development on how we can best support young people who are at risk of or are currently experiencing harm. In terms of this special issue two key considerations are established—and we hope that these are taken into account in the design of future research. First, that definitions matter. Work is required to explore support via various peer relationships; pre-existing friendships, specialist peer support groups and temporally or physically proximal support structures (in schools for example); and clarity is needed as to what type of peer relationships are under study on each occasion. Secondly, developing a continuum of formal and informal support to characterise the ways that peer relationships/friendships can be integrated into safeguarding practice/policy might also provide a route for clarifying the types of interventions under study and their implications for service development. Formal peer support structures, that exist outside of young people's established friendships, offer specific benefits and require specific scaffolding; these requirements are different for informal support via pre-existing friendship. Questions might also be asked about what happens in the middle, where friendships form within formalised circles of support; friendships that may persist beyond a peer support intervention. Like my best friend … He's always there day and night. I can ring him at three o'clock in the morning and he'll answer the phone … He's very understanding, and he seems to say the right stuff. (Interview 6, male, 21 years)

Background:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote and very remote communities in Australia experience high rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs), 4- to 29-fold the rates reported for non-Aboriginal people living in remote areas. Young people aged 16-29 years are particularly vulnerable to STIs. The Young Deadly Free (YDF) sexual health youth peer education program was implemented in 15 remote or very remote communities in four Australian jurisdictions in an effort to address endemic STI rates in these communities. The present study sought to evaluate the effect of YDF for Aboriginal young people. Methods: Young people (n = 128) participated in youth peer educator training to deliver peer education sessions on sexual health topics to other young people in their communities. Pre and post surveys were used to examine changes in STI knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of the young people attending the peer education sessions. GHRANITE software extracted deidentified STI testing data for young people attending 13 community health services. Results: Young people (n = 426) attended peer education sessions delivered by trained youth peer educators. Pre and post surveys were completed by 174 and 172 young people respectively (median age 20 years). Gains were reported in STI knowledge, intentions to test (χ2 = 10.58, d.f. = 4, n = 142, P < 0.001) and number of STI tests (50.8% increase from baseline). Feelings of shame associated with STI testing remained high (39.5% post survey). Conclusions: Peer education can enhance the sexual health literacy of young Aboriginal people residing in remote communities. The extent to which knowledge gains result in behaviours that prevent STI transmission requires further evaluation. Normalising STI testing among Aboriginal young people would help reduce feelings of shame.

Young people (n = 128) participated in youth peer educator training to deliver peer education sessions on sexual health topics to other young people in their communities. Pre and post surveys were used to examine changes in STI knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of the young people attending the peer education sessions. GHRANITE software extracted deidentified STI testing data for young people attending 13 community health services. Young people (n = 426) attended peer education sessions delivered by trained youth peer educators. Pre and post surveys were completed by 174 and 172 young people respectively (median age 20 years). Gains were reported in STI knowledge, intentions to test (χ2 = 10.58, d.f. = 4, n = 142, P < 0.001) and number of STI tests (50.8% increase from baseline). Feelings of shame associated with STI testing remained high (39.5% post survey). Peer education can enhance the sexual health literacy of young Aboriginal people residing in remote communities. The extent to which knowledge gains result in behaviours that prevent STI transmission requires further evaluation. Normalising STI testing among Aboriginal young people would help reduce feelings of shame.

338 Provider Opinions of Emergency Department HIV Testing Before and After Program Implementation

Introduction Chlamydia is the most common notifiable sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Australia, mostly affecting people aged 29 years and under. Offering testing in an outreach setting is an effective strategy for engaging young people and reducing the number of undiagnosed infections. Our service developed a model for Aboriginal Health Education Officers (HEOs) and Health Promotion Officers (HPOs) to offer urine chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing at community events. To enhance knowledge, confidence and skills, the Clinical Nurse Consultant and other specialist clinicians developed a comprehensive training package. The package includes an operations manual, lesson plan, presentation, role play scenarios, checklists, knowledge quiz and competency assessment. Topics include confidentiality, assessing risk and specimen collection procedures. Ongoing support from the clinical service is provided. Methods Participants completed a pre and post training survey to measure knowledge and confidence in undertaking urine chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing in an outreach setting. The survey asked for responses to six statements on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (completely). The average scores for each statement pre and post were calculated. Results A total of nine staff completed the training between August 2014 and January 2015. The staff were from varying disciplines including Aboriginal HEO, HPOs, social work and student nursing. Eight pre and post surveys were completed. For all statements there was an increase in the average score in the post survey compared with the pre survey. The greatest differences were in the statements relating to assessing risk of harm in a young person and use of standard precautions. Conclusion Participation in the comprehensive training demonstrated an increase in knowledge, confidence and skills of non-clinical health workers to undertake urine chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing in an outreach setting. The training is appropriate for staff from a variety of disciplines including Aboriginal HEOs, HPOs and social workers. Disclosure of interest statement No disclosures of interest.

PROTOCOL: Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) for young people in treatment for non‐opioid drug use

To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of two forms of social support (peer and peer plus virtual professional support) on quality of life, feelings of support, and exercise levels in older adult survivors of cancer. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to the AgeMatchPLUS (peer support plus weekly qualified exercise professional support) or AgeMatch (peer support only) group. The primary outcome was feasibility (measured by recruitment, retention, adherence rates). Secondary outcomes included quality of life, social support, exercise volume, and physical activity enjoyment. Outcomes were measured at baseline (T1), post-intervention (10-weeks post baseline (T2)), post-tapering (14-weeks post baseline (T3)), and at 6-months follow-up (T4). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multiple linear regression was performed for all secondary outcomes to determine estimates of effect between groups. Virtual peer and professional exercise-related social support are feasible for older adults survivors of cancer. Those matched with a peer in addition to virtual professional support demonstrated improved exercise-related social support and resistance training volume post-intervention. No other significant differences were found between groups, with both groups significantly increasing their exercise levels across the study. We demonstrated the feasibility and benefit of peer matching, both independently and alongside professional support, for older survivors of cancer. Future research efforts should examine the effectiveness of this intervention on a larger scale and compare outcomes to a no intervention group. This trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05549479, August 23, 2022).

Reaching married and unmarried young people in Jordan with family planning information and services is a priority, especially considering Jordan's large refugee populations. To date, dissemination of family planning research and programmatic experience targeting young people in Jordan has been limited. This study aimed to provide in-depth information on family planning intervention programmes, research and policies in Jordan that focus on young people aged 10-24 years. Data were gathered through a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature related to reproductive health of young people, and focus groups discussions with stakeholders from 18 relevant governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The literature review included 37 documents produced since 2008, which provide information at the individual, family/community, service delivery and policy levels. Young people in Jordan have limited knowledge of family planning methods and where to obtain family planning services. Little information is available on the availability of family planning services for young people. Several policy documents discuss family planning and reproductive health of young people in Jordan. Focus group discussions identified opportunities to integrate services and strengthen the development of future policies. The results of this study highlight key lessons learnt, opportunities for interventions and research gaps related to family planning among young people in Jordan. More attention should be paid to understanding and meeting the needs of Jordan's most vulnerable populations of young people, including urban refugees and married adolescents, especially as these populations continue to grow. Future programmes should build from past evidence and explore new areas and interventions.

A meta-synthesis of womenʼs perceptions and experiences of breastfeeding support

This paper offers an analysis of informal digital peer support among LGBTQ+ young people in Australia, based on survey data from 660 young people (aged 16-25). Research on LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health support commonly focuses on their professional support needs and connection to services, but there is also a need to understand informal peer support through everyday social media use. There are known benefits of having access to multiple forms of care and support, including the immediacy of friendship and peer-based support. This paper focuses on how LGBTQ+ young people participate in informal digital support practices for mental health and the values they attribute to this. This includes support that is not only sought and found but that which is offered and reciprocated through care networks. We highlight the need to consider where informal support comes from, who is involved, and what it offers to LGBTQ+ young people. Participants commonly experienced social media as environments that offered connection to supportive people, content, and spaces – providing mental health benefits. The community, connection, and solidarity of online platform spaces can benefit young people’s mental health and wellbeing, thereby complementing formal healthcare programmes, policy and systems of care.

There are well-recognized barriers that prevent young people from accessing timely mental health support and there is an opportunity to promote their engagement with professional support through websites associated with a mental health service. This Aotearoa, New Zealand-based study aimed to identify the elements of a website that young people believed would improve engagement with the service. A co-design method enlisted young people's expertise in making recommendations for mental health service websites. Sixty-seven young people, aged 16-24 years, took part in one of six participatory workshops. The data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Recommendations were for the inclusion of information that validated young people's help-seeking; showed them exactly what it would be like to use the service; helped them to make informed choices about the support they wanted, and told them what steps they needed to take to get access to the service. Recommendations also included the use of personal stories from other young people illustrating the value of using the service, and for information to be conveyed in a tone that was authentic, respectful, and nonjudgemental. Young people also wanted good functionality from a website and preferred video and other visual modes of presentation. This research offers clear recommendations for websites aimed at improving youth engagement with professional mental health support. A youth-informed approach to website design has the potential to overcome some of the barriers that prevent this population from reaching out for help.

Background: In England, screening for genital chlamydial infection has begun; however, screening frequency for women is not yet determined. Aim: To measure chlamydia incidence and reinfection rates among young women...

105 Background: We aimed to engage oncologists to disseminate a successful pilot-tested shared mental model (SMM) for the integration of early advance care planning (ACP) and identification of palliative care (PC) needs across a health system’s oncologic practice. Methods: Our Oncology Communication Collaborative Team (OCCT) had oncology leadership support and included a multidisciplinary team representing leaders in oncology, ACP, PC, psycho-social oncology and quality. To communicate the SMM developed by our team, the OCCT developed an interactive Saturday session (1-hr didactic, 3-hr small group role-play) that focused on early ACP and the cognitive and emotional aspects of communication. Before and after the training, we asked participants to rate their ability to communicate with patients as well as their readiness, self-efficacy, and need for help to improve communication regarding prognosis, ACP, end of life care and symptom management using a previously validated survey. We computed means and compared matched pairs of pre and post surveys using a paired t-test. We also surveyed participants about whether they would recommend the course to others and planned changes to practice. Results: All but one oncologist (52/53), 3/4 invited fellows, and 12/14 oncology nurse practitioners participated and 90% of attendees completed pre and post surveys. Participants rated their communication ability higher (6.7 v. 7.6, p &lt; 0.01) on a 10-point scale after the training. Readiness to improve communication in this domain (9.1 v. 9.2, p = 0.35) was similar before and after the training. Self-efficacy (1.5 v. 1.5, p = 0.70) and needing help to improve (1.6 v. 1.7, p = 0.37) were rated highly (1 = A lot and 4 = Not at all) but did not change with training. All but one participant reported they would recommend the course to others and free text responses about changes they planned to make to their practice based on the training included: having earlier ACP discussions, focusing on patient goals/priorities and asking open-ended questions. Conclusions: Conducting a training to disseminate a SMM of oncology and PC is feasible, valuable, and can be the first step for partnered continuous quality improvement.

Background/Objectives: Caring for patients with dementia can be challenging due to emotional contagion. This projected sought to enhance mindfulness and reduce patient-care related stress/anxiety of caregivers to individuals with dementia to foster positive emotional contagion. Design: A mixed method design was used to examine the effects of the mindfulness education. Setting: Continuing Care Retirement Community Participants: Thirty-four long term care staff completed the initial educational activity; 16 completed pre and post survey and practiced the mindfulness activity for one week. Intervention: A 1 hour continuing education program was implemented and evaluated to teach caregivers a mindfulness enhancing technique known as Heart Assisted Therapy-SR (HAT-SR). Measurements: Evaluation focused on caregivers’ responses to the education, the intention to use the technique in practice, and staff experiences regarding the mindfulness enhancing intervention. Caregivers also completed a pre and post CAMS-R mindfulness survey and a post educational activity survey. Results: Mean scores were slightly improved (M=39.00 pre to M=39.73 post) after practicing HAT-SR for one week, however, these results were not statistically significant. The End of Educational Activity survey revealed 100% of participants increased their knowledge base regarding mindfulness, 86% reported the educational activity was helpful in identifying the challenges faced by caregivers of patients with cognitive impairments, and over 85% of participants responded favorably to using HAT-SR as a tool to promote calm and relaxation and to improve their practice. Conclusion

BackgroundTeenage pregnancy remains high with low contraceptive prevalence among adolescents (aged 15-19 years) in Sierra Leone. Stakeholders leverage multiple strategies to address the challenge. Mobile technology is pervasive and presents an opportunity to reach young people with critical sexual reproductive health and family planning messages.ObjectiveThe objectives of this research study are to understand how mobile health (mHealth) is used for family planning, understand phone use habits among young people in Sierra Leone, and recommend strategies for mobile-enabled dissemination of family planning information at scale.MethodsThis formative research study was conducted using a systematic literature review and focus group discussions (FGDs). The literature survey assessed similar but existing interventions through a systematic search of 6 scholarly databases. Cross-sections of young people of both sexes and their support groups were engaged in 9 FGDs in an urban and a rural district in Sierra Leone. The FGD data were qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA software (VERBI Software GmbH) to determine appropriate technology channels, content, and format for different user segments.ResultsOur systematic search results were categorized using Grading of Recommended Assessment and Evaluation (GRADE) into communication channels, audiovisual messaging format, purpose of the intervention, and message direction. The majority of reviewed articles report on SMS-based interventions. At the same time, most intervention purposes are for awareness and as helpful resources. Our survey did not find documented use of custom mHealth apps for family planning information dissemination. From the FGDs, more young people in Sierra Leone own basic mobile phones than those that have feature capablilities or are smartphone. Young people with smartphones use them mostly for WhatsApp and Facebook. Young people widely subscribe to the social media–only internet bundle, with the cost ranging from 1000 leones (US $0.11) to 1500 leones (US $0.16) daily. Pupils in both districts top-up their voice call and SMS credit every day between 1000 leones (US $0.11) and 5000 leones (US $0.52).ConclusionsmHealth has facilitated family planning information dissemination for demand creation around the world. Despite the widespread use of social and new media, SMS is the scalable channel to reach literate and semiliterate young people. We have cataloged mHealth for contraceptive research to show SMS followed by call center as widely used channels. Jingles are popular for audiovisual message formats, mostly delivered as either push or pull only message directions (not both). Interactive voice response and automated calls are best suited to reach nonliterate young people at scale.