Length of secondary schooling and risk of HIV infection in Botswana: evidence from a natural experiment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An estimated 2·1 million individuals are newly infected with HIV every year. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have reported conflicting evidence for the association between education and HIV risk, and no randomised trial has identified a causal effect for education on HIV incidence. We aimed to use a policy reform in secondary schooling in Botswana to identify the causal effect of length of schooling on new HIV infection.

Methods

Data for HIV biomarkers and demographics were obtained from the nationally representative household 2004 and 2008 Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys (N=7018). In 1996, Botswana reformed the grade structure of secondary school, expanding access to grade ten and increasing educational attainment for affected cohorts. Using exposure to the

SUBMITTER: De Neve JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4676715 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature