Testing STORK Program for pregnancy
Official title: Supporting the Transition to Parenthood Through Online Sex and Relationship Knowledge
STORK (Supporting the Transition to Parenthood Through Online Sex and Relationship Knowledge) Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2 groups
- Sites in Vancouver and Halifax
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Other intervention
STORK Program
The STORK program includes a brief orientation module (Module 0, intended to be completed in the same sitting as Module 1) followed by six full-length modules: five weekly modules in pregnancy (Modules 1 to 5) and one module at 3-months postpartum (Module 6). Couples are assigned a trained facilitator (undergraduate research assistant, graduate student, or postdoc) to answer questions or resolve any technical issues.
Canadian Sites (2)
2 of 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia
- Recruiting
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for9 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +one member of the couple must be currently pregnant (13-27 weeks gestation) with their first baby together (If the couple has a history of miscarriage or stillbirth, previously gave a baby up for adoption, or have other children who do not live with them, they are still eligible to participate.)
- +married or cohabitating romantic relationship of at least 12 months
- +live in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, or the United Kingdom
- +able to read and understand English
- +have access to a personal e-mail account
- +low-risk pregnancy
Exclusion
- −severe relational distress or conflict as determined by baselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more → measures
- −one or both partners of a couple do not complete the baseline survey - this includes cases where one or both partners do not pass at least 3/5 attention checks in the baseline survey
- −instructed to avoid sexual activity from a healthcare professional
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a way to prevent a condition from developing.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A receives STORK Program.
Registry label: A: STORK Program
Group B receives no study treatment and is followed for comparison.
Registry label: B: Waitlist Control
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
Neither you nor the study team would know which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives no study treatment at all, and is followed for comparison.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 268 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around March 2029.
The main measurement is taken over: BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 32-weeks gestation, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Sexual Satisfaction — measured over BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 32-weeks gestation, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups.
Sexual Distress — measured over Baseline, 32-weeks gestation, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups.
Sexual Desire — measured over Baseline, 32-weeks gestation, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT07344454 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About STORK ProgramOther
The STORK program includes a brief orientation module (Module 0, intended to be completed in the same sitting as Module 1) followed by six full-length modules: five weekly modules in pregnancy (Modules 1 to 5) and one module at 3-months postpartum (Module 6). Couples are assigned a trained facilitator (undergraduate research assistant, graduate student, or postdoc) to answer questions or resolve any technical issues.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a other is here: An intervention the registry did not place in another category.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 18 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives no study treatment and is followed for comparison.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
Neither you nor the study team would know which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: BaselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more →, 32-weeks gestation, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2029-03.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 268 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists 2 locations, including: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Becoming parents exerts powerful and long-lasting effects on couples' well-being and quality of life. The transition to parenthood (TtP; pregnancy to 12-months postpartum) poses significant challenges as couples balance the task of caring for a newborn while maintaining their romantic relationship. One crucial way that couples sustain their connection is through their sexuality. Most new parents experience significant disruptions to their sexual well-being (i.e., sexual satisfaction, desire, distress), with sexual concerns such as reduced sexual frequency and lack of time and energy for sex being nearly ubiquitous. Simultaneously, most new parents lack easily accessible, reliable information on the common sexual changes associated with the TtP and there is a lack of evidence-based research aimed at helping couples navigate changes to their sexual well-being across this life transition. The investigators have identified risk (e.g., stress) and protective (e.g., intimacy) factors for couples' sexual well-being across the TtP that can be targeted in a prevention program, though no such programs exist. The goal of this two-centre randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of STORK (Supporting the Transition to Parenthood through Online Sex and Relationship Knowledge), a novel couple-based online program to support new parents' sexual well-being. This program comprises psychoeducation about common sexual changes as well as skills that couples can develop together to manage these changes and constitutes the first evidence-based program for new parent couples' sexual well-being. The investigators expect that, compared to a waitlist control group, couples who complete STORK will have better sexual, relational, and psychological adjustment across the transition to parenthood (from 13 to 27-weeks gestation to 12-months postpartum). Given that up to 78% of new parents report receiving little-to-no information about what to expect regarding changes to their postpartum sexual relationship, this study addresses the need for accessible, couple-based supports for this commonly challenging transition. By strengthening couples' sexual relationships, the results of this research have the potential to promote the quality of new parents' relationships, strengthening the overall well-being of their families during this critical life stage.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.