Female Education, HIV/AIDS and the Education Vaccine in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Condom Piece of the Puzzle

Abstract

There are many recent studies that indicate that female education and HIV are still positively related in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). So education is not a vaccine as claimed and there exists a puzzle that needs to be resolved. In this study, by focusing on the use and non-use of condoms by females, we provide one piece of the puzzle. That is, we identify one transmission mechanism by which female education leads to higher rates of HIV infection. We find that educated females are less likely to use condoms with their spouses and regular partners than less education females.