Overestimating HIV infection

Phil Anglewicz and Hans-Peter Kohler
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Phil Anglewicz: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Hans-Peter Kohler: University of Pennsylvania

Demographic Research, 2009, vol. 20, issue 6, 65-96

Abstract: In the absence of HIV testing, how do rural Malawians assess their HIV status? In this paper, we use a unique dataset that includes respondents’ HIV status as well as their subjective likelihood of HIV infection. These data show that many rural Malawians overestimate their likelihood of current HIV infection. The discrepancy between actual and perceived status raises an important question: Why are so many wrong? We begin by identifying determinants of self-assessed HIV status, and then compare these assessments with HIV biomarker results. Finally, we ask what characteristics of individuals are associated with errors in self-assessments.

Keywords: sub-Saharan Africa; perceived risk; HIV/AIDS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:demres:v:20:y:2009:i:6

DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2009.20.6

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