3.10 | Spread of HIV Worldwide
HIV is transmitted sexually. Around 25% of South African mothers had
HIV in the 2000s. According to and , HIV is primarily a trade-related
and urban disease and is more prevalent among the urban poor. Weil
(2010) discusses how HIV affects growth by raising dependency ratios,
while Young (2005) illustrates how HIV has a negative influence on the
human capital accumulation of orphaned children because HIV kills
sexually active (i.e., working-age) individuals disproportionately.
However, if people are less inclined to participate in unprotected
sexual activity or if labor shortages make women’s time more valuable, a
rise in HIV prevalence might reduce reproduction, resulting in a
long-term gain in earnings per capita.