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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

The Participant-Reported Implementation Update and Score (PRIUS): A Novel Method for Capturing Implementation-Related Data Over Time
Published on: February 19, 2021
Durable effects of implementation intentions: reduced rates of confirmed pregnancy at 2 years
Jilly Martin1, Paschal Sheeran, Pauline Slade
1Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Jack Straws Lane, Marston, Oxford OX3 0FL, UK. jmartin@brookes.ac.uk
Objective:
To assess the long-term impact of implementation intention formation in reducing consultations for emergency contraception and pregnancy testing among teenage women.
Design:
Teenage women visiting a family planning clinic were randomly assigned to implementation intention versus control conditions.
Main Outcome Measures:
Objective measures of consultation outcomes were obtained from clinic records at 2-year follow-up (N = 227).
Results:
Rates of consultation for emergency contraception and pregnancy testing in the implementation intentions condition were 19% and 33% lower, respectively, compared to the rates observed in the control condition. Pregnancy rates were 43% lower. Intervention participants who consulted for emergency contraception and pregnancy testing at baseline were more than twice as likely to change to consulting for contraceptive supplies over the follow-up period compared to equivalent control participants (19% vs. 9%).
Conclusion:
The impact of implementation intention formation on reducing pregnancy risk among teenagers is durable over 2 years. Implementation intentions were successful in changing behavior among precisely those participants who were at greatest risk of becoming pregnant.
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