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  3. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
  4. July 2018
  5. Incentivizing Safer Sexual Behavior: Evidence from a Lottery Experiment on HIV Prevention

Incentivizing Safer Sexual Behavior: Evidence from a Lottery Experiment on HIV Prevention

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Abstract

We investigate the effect of a financial lottery program in Lesotho with relatively low expected payments but a chance to win a high prize conditional on negative test results for sexually transmitted infections. The intervention resulted in a 21.4 percent reduction in HIV incidence over two years. Lottery incentives appear to be particularly effective in targeting individuals with ex ante risky sexual behavior, consistent with the hypothesis that lotteries are more valued by individuals willing to take risks.

Citation

Björkman Nyqvist, Martina, Lucia Corno, Damien de Walque, and Jakob Svensson. 2018. "Incentivizing Safer Sexual Behavior: Evidence from a Lottery Experiment on HIV Prevention." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 10 (3): 287-314. DOI: 10.1257/app.20160469

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • I12 Health Behavior
  • I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
  • O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
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