Health Risk Information, Social Stigma and Demand for Condoms: Experimental Evidence from Ghana

Salamatu Nanna Adam

CERGE-EI Working Papers from The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague

Abstract: I investigate two potential barriers that may limit demand for condoms: inadequate information about health risks and fear of social stigma associated with condom purchases. Using a randomized experiment, I test whether providing information about (i) health risks and (ii) peers’ views regarding the social appropriateness of condom purchase can increase condom demand among young adults in Ghana. I find that providing health risk information led to a 32% increase in demand. In contrast, providing additional information about peers’ views regarding the social appropriateness of condom purchase had no meaningful effect on condom demand. Moreover, the effect of health risk information on condom demand is persistent. Interestingly, even though I document persistent effects of health risk information on condom demand, I find that information has temporary effects on perceptions about the appropriateness of using condoms. These results suggest that targeted information can durably shift health behavior even when underlying perceptions remain slow to change.

Keywords: beliefs; misperceptions; information; health risk; social stigma; learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 D91 I12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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