A BEJEAP Contributions article.

Abstract

The elasticity of risky sexual behavior to changes in local HIV infection prevalence is estimated using a longitudinal survey of the sexual behavior and health of gay men in San Francisco during the 1980s. An average respondent decreases risky behavior by about 5% in response to a 10% increase in disease prevalence. The average response obscures substantial variation across respondents: High-risk people reduce risky behavior less than low-risk people as prevalence increases. This result is consistent with the predictions of theoretical economic epidemiology and has implications for epidemic dynamics.

Submitted: November 21, 2003 · Accepted: April 10, 2006 · Published: April 28, 2006

Originally published in Contributions to Economic Analysis & Policy.

Recommended Citation

Auld, M. Christopher (2006) "Estimating Behavioral Response to the AIDS Epidemic," Contributions to Economic Analysis & Policy: Vol. 5 : Iss. 1, Article 12.
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/bejeap/contributions/vol5/iss1/art12