Cash Incentives cut HIV Rate
Researchers for the World Bank have published two studies suggesting that girls paid
regular cash payments linked to STD tests are less likely to have inappropriate sexual relationships or contract sexually transmitted infections like HIV.With girls in developing countries at highest risk of contracting infections like HIV, herpes and chlamydia much of the new initiatives to reduce STD transmission rates have focused on changing their sexual behaviours.
The World Bank funded two studies into whether financial incentives could be used to encourage safer sex. They were carried out in Malawi and Tanzania and both studies seemed to result in similar data.
The Malawi study involved almost 4,000 girls. The participants were offered a regular cash payment, on condition that they stayed in school for the duration of the study. At the start of the study, a quarter of the sexually active girls interviewed said that they started sexual relationships because they needed money.
After 18 months, the majority of the girls had not only remained in education but had an HIV infection rate 60% lower than their peers. They were also 75% less likely to have a positive chlamydia test or positive STD test for other infections, indicating that they were less sexually active. Furthermore is seemed that amongst those girls who were having sex were doing so with younger partners.
The World Bank has said that the results seem to indicate that the lower infection rates, fewer positive STD tests and younger partners were the result of the girls being less likely to engage in transactional sex'.
In Tanzania, the study included men as well as women and recruited over 2,000 participants. They were given payments every four months, with the condition being that they had negative STD tests. They were given counselling and advice on how to use condoms. Overall, there was a 25% drop in STIs amongst those receiving the payments.
While the study was specific to the developing world, in Britain similar incentives have been offered to encourage young people to do a chlamydia test. Teens have been offered shopping vouchers and gifts to take part in chlamydia testing sessions, though the schemes have garnered some criticism.
David Wilson, director of the World Bank's global HIV and AIDs program, said, "These two studies show the potential for using cash payments to prevent people, especially women and girls, from engaging in unsafe sex while also ensuring that they stay in school and get the full benefits of an education."
Cash Incentives cut HIV Rate
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