Why does the newer fifth edition of Be Proud! Be Responsible! now only cover HIV?

The changes to the fifth edition were made at the request of the developers. Be Proud! Be Responsible! was updated and restored to the version that was evaluated: six sessions focused on knowledge and skills for HIV prevention.

The developers, Drs. Loretta and John Jemmott, had earlier adapted Be Proud into the eight-session Making Proud Choices program, which was independently evaluated, to extend the content and skills to cover other STIs and pregnancy prevention by adding two modules focused on these areas.

The previous publisher of the fourth edition of Be Proud had added additional content on other STIs and pregnancy to the lesson structure, but without extending the time per session or number of sessions. The developers felt that these changes made it impossible to cover all the content in a meaningful way and took the program too far away from the original evidence base. ETR’s trainers also hear from many in the field that the fourth edition Be Proud sessions are very difficult to implement in the promised 50 minutes.

ETR strongly encourages agencies and grantees who are interested in a Jemmott program for pregnancy prevention to consider moving to Making Proud Choices (which is essentially the Be Proud, Be Responsible evidence-based program with the addition of a module on other STIs and a module on pregnancy prevention). It keeps the evaluated lesson structure of Be Proud intact and provides the additional content in a more coherent and focused way. Plus, Making Proud Choices was found to be effective in its own rigorous research study.