HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC STATUS AND RISK OF HIV/AIDS INFECTION AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE: EVIDENCE FROM GHANA

ABSTRcr

Recent e;dence suggests that the burden of new HIV infection in

developing COtmtries is concentrated among YOtmg people even \;th the

inc=in!! knowledge of how to protect oneself from infection. :-'Iany scholars

have e.,:plained this tmder the economic thesis that the daily situations of

economic and social disadvanta"cre that characterize the lives of many YOtmg

people push them to indulge in ris!.:y sex"Ua! behayiours that increase their risk of

contracting HIV. 1bis study empirically tests the veracity of this economic thesis

among yotmg people in Ghana

E'.tr.icting data on YOtmg men and women aged 15-24y=from the 2003

Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data. a national household survey; the

study eXl'lores the association between economic starus and three ris!.:y se.'."Ua!

beha;ours - age at se.'."Ua! debut. multiple se.'."UaI partnership and inconsistent tL

ofcondom.

Interestingly, the long held poYer!)' hypothesis is not confirmed in this

study. Howeyer, yariables such as kno\iedge of one's HI'/AIDS status.

frequency ofwatching teleision,y=ofschooling and sta)ing away from home

for more than a month are fOtmd to be significantly a5-"Ociated w;th ris!..')' se.'.-ual

beha;ours among YOtmg people in Ghana.