The Impact of Short-term Financial Incentives on Sexual Behavior and HIV Incidence in Lesotho
1 other identifier
interventional
5,000
1 country
1
Brief Summary
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a major concern in many countries. The epidemic is especially acute in Lesotho where roughly one quarter of the population is infected by HIV/AIDS. In Lesotho, and elsewhere, new innovative approaches to induce safer sexual behavior have been desperately called for, particularly in view of the limited impact that existing prevention schemes have had on the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. One of the key questions is to understand why individuals get involved in short-term risky sexual behavior when the potential long-term cost of becoming HIV infected is so high? A follow-up question is what replicable and feasible interventions can affect this trade-off between short and long run returns? The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether the use of short-term financial incentives can affect this trade-off, thereby influencing young individuals' decisions with respect to sexual and reproductive health behavior, and thus in the end reduce HIV incidence rates. The investigators will study this question using a sample of population attending served by New Start Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) sites that a local NGO, Population Service International (PSI), has already implemented in Lesotho. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial to test whether adding a financial incentive to remain STI-negative in the form of a lottery can promote safer sexual activity. The lotteries will work as follows: if the individual is tested negative on a set of curable STIs, she will get a lottery ticket with the chance to win a "big" prize. If she is tested positive, she will receive free treatment, but no lottery ticket. If an individual who tested positive is cured, she can come back in the lottery system and get a later chance to win the lottery ticket if she remains STI-negative. The outcome will be to measure the impact of financial incentives on HIV incidence after two years. The results of this research project will be disseminated through academic and non-academic conferences, workshops, publications in academic journals, and also in policy journals with the aim to reach out to policy makers outside the research community.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for early_phase_1
Started Feb 2010
Typical duration for early_phase_1
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
February 1, 2010
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
February 1, 2010
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
April 19, 2010
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
May 2, 2012
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 1, 2012
CompletedMay 2, 2012
May 1, 2012
Same day
April 19, 2010
May 1, 2012
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
HIV prevalence
2 years
Secondary Outcomes (1)
STI prevalence (Chlamydia, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis)
2 years
Study Arms (3)
Treatment group: T5
EXPERIMENTALSmall Lottery reward
Control group
NO INTERVENTIONTreatment group T1
EXPERIMENTALHigh Lottery reward
Interventions
Introduction of financial incentives in the form of a lottery to remain/become STI-negative, which we believe is both replicable and relatively easy to scale-up.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Clinical diagnosis of HIV/AIDS ans STI
You may not qualify if:
- none
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Bocconi Universitylead
- World Bankcollaborator
Study Sites (1)
Lucia Corno
London, United Kingdom
Related Publications (1)
Bjorkman Nyqvist M, Corno L, de Walque D, Svensson J. HIV, risk, and time preferences: Evidence from a general population sample in Lesotho. Health Econ. 2022 May;31(5):904-911. doi: 10.1002/hec.4476. Epub 2022 Feb 11.
PMID: 35150024DERIVED
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Damien de Walque, Phd
World Bank
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- early phase 1
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
April 19, 2010
First Posted
May 2, 2012
Study Start
February 1, 2010
Primary Completion
February 1, 2010
Study Completion
June 1, 2012
Last Updated
May 2, 2012
Record last verified: 2012-05