AIDS in the Digital Age : Evidence from Submarine Internet in Africa

This paper offers evidence of the causal impact of high-speed Internet on sexual behavior and HIV spread in Africa. Our identification strategy exploits individual-level data combined with information on the gradual arrival of submarine Internet cables in Africa’s coastal regions. Robust difference-in-differences estimates show that exposure to fast Internet reduces the likelihood of HIV infection by over 2 percentage points. This large effect is entirely driven by women, educated individuals, older adults, and urban residents. The analysis of causal mechanisms reveals that, while access to the fast Internet increases the likelihood of early sexual initiation and extramarital relationships, it also increases knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission, promotes the use of modern methods of contraception, and reduces fertility and the likelihood of being in a polygamous marriage. Furthermore, data from Google Trends merged with novel information on the growth of Internet nodes over the last decade show that improved Internet access leads to an increase in the time spent online researching sex-related topics (including pornography and sexual abuse), sexual partners, contraception, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. The findings imply that expanding Internet networks in Africa requires educational policy interventions to optimize their use and promote healthy and stable intimate relationships