Do Teenagers Respond to HIV Risk Information? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya

Pascaline Dupas

No 14707, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: I use a randomized experiment to test whether information can change sexual behavior among teenagers in Kenya. Providing information on the relative risk of HIV infection by partner's age led to a 28% decrease in teen pregnancy, an objective proxy for the incidence of unprotected sex. Self-reported sexual behavior data suggests substitution away from older (riskier) partners and towards protected sex with same-age partners. In contrast, the national abstinence-only HIV education curriculum had no impact on teen pregnancy. These results suggest that teenagers are responsive to risk information but their sexual behavior is more elastic on the intensive than on the extensive margin.

JEL-codes: C93 I1 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-dev, nep-exp and nep-hea
Note: CH
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

Published as Pascaline Dupas, 2011. "Do Teenagers Respond to HIV Risk Information? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 1-34, January.

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