Do risk, time and prosocial preferences predict risky sexual behaviour of youths in a low-income, high-risk setting?

Ranjeeta Thomas, Matteo Galizzi, Louisa Moorhouse, Constance Nyamukapa and Timothy B. Hallett

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Young people in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly at high risk of sexually transmitted infections. Little is known about their preferences and even less about their association with risky sexual behaviour. We conducted incentivized economic experiments to measure risk, time and prosocial preferences in Zimbabwe. Preferences measured at baseline predict biomarker and self-reported measures of risky sexual behaviour gathered 12 months later. We find robust evidence that individuals more altruistic at baseline are more likely to be Herpes Simplex Virus Type-2 (HSV-2) positive 12 months later. Analysis by sex shows this association is driven by our sample of women. Having more sexual partners is associated with greater risk tolerance amongst men and greater impatience amongst women. Results highlight heterogeneity in the association between preferences and risky sexual behaviour.

Keywords: risk preference; time preference; altruism; social proximity; risky sexual behaviour; OPP1161471; Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis funding from the UK Medical Research Council and Department for International Development MR/R015600/1; R01MH114562-01 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 17 pages
Date: 2024-01-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-hea
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Published in Journal of Health Economics, 1, January, 2024, 93. ISSN: 0167-6296

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Journal Article: Do risk, time and prosocial preferences predict risky sexual behaviour of youths in a low-income, high-risk setting? (2024)
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