How Subjective Beliefs about HIV Infection Affect Life-Cycle Fertility: Evidence from Rural Malawi

Gil Shapira ()

Journal of Human Resources, 2017, vol. 52, issue 3, 680-718

Abstract: This paper assesses the link between beliefs about HIV infection and fertility. I develop and estimate a dynamic discrete-choice life-cycle fertility model in which expectations about life horizon and child survival depend on perceived HIV infection. Using data containing beliefs on own status, I show that the presence of HIV reduces average lifetime fertility in rural Malawi by 0.15 births. Counterfactual policy simulations predict that prevention of mother-to-child transmission and HIV testing would have overall negligible impacts on fertility, although testing reduces the fertility of infected women, leading to a reduction in child mortality.

Date: 2017
Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.52.3.0314-6263R1
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Related works:
Working Paper: How subjective beliefs about HIV infection affect life-cycle fertility: evidence from rural Malawi (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:52:y:2017:i:3:p:680-718

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