Needle Sharing and HIV Transmission: A Model with Markets and Purposive Behavior / Ajay Mahal, Brendan O'Flaherty, David E. Bloom.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mahal, Ajay.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

O'Flaherty, Brendan.

Bloom, David E.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w14823.

NBER working paper series no. w14823

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Needle Sharing and HIV Transmission

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2009.

Summary:

Without well designed empirical studies, mathematical models are an important way to use data on needle infection for inferences about human infection. We develop a model with explicit behavioral foundations to explore an array of policy interventions related to HIV transmission among IDU. In our model, needle exchanges affect the spread of HIV in three ways: more HIV-negative IDUs use new needles instead of old ones; needles are retired after fewer uses; and the proportion of HIV-positive IDUs among users of both old and new needles rises owing to sorting effects. The first and second effects reduce the long-run incidence of HIV, while the third effect works in the opposite direction. We compare the results of our model with those of Kaplan and O'Keefe (1993) that is the foundation of many later models of HIV transmission among IDU.

Notes:

Print version record

March 2009.