Schooling, Wealth, Risky Sexual Behavior, and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Economic growth and development have improved human health in many regions, while sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag behind. Economic theory and the existing empirical evidence suggest that development may not generate large reductions in the leading cause of adult mortality in the region, HIV/AIDS, and may increase risky sexual behavior. We examine the association between schooling/material standard of living and HIV risk using data from more than 500,000 respondents in 32 sub-Saharan African countries. The results of our descriptive analysis suggest that the rapid increase in primary school completion without improvements in living standards or secondary school completion might not mitigate HIV transmission.