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High School Dropouts and Sexually Transmitted Infections
D Mark Anderson1, Claus C Pörtner2
1Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics Montana State University dwight.anderson@montana.edu.
Southern Economic Journal
|February 24, 2015
Summary
Dropping out of high school increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for females. Staying in school longer may offer protection against STIs by influencing partner selection.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- High school dropout rates are associated with negative life outcomes.
- Previous research on sexual outcomes and dropout status has not adequately addressed individual-level unobserved heterogeneity.
- Understanding the link between education and health is crucial for public policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the relationship between high school dropout status and the probability of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
- To investigate how unobserved individual characteristics influence the association between dropping out and STI risk.
- To explore differences in romantic partners of high school dropouts versus enrolled students.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fixed effects estimators to control for unobserved individual heterogeneity.
- Employed statistical analysis to examine the correlation between educational attainment and STI contraction.
- Compared demographic and behavioral characteristics of partners associated with dropouts and non-dropouts.
Main Results:
- Found a statistically significant positive relationship between dropping out of high school and the risk of contracting an STI among females.
- Identified significant differences in the characteristics of romantic partners of female high school dropouts compared to those still enrolled.
- Evidence suggests that partner selection plays a role in the increased STI susceptibility of female dropouts.
Conclusions:
- Encouraging at-risk students to remain in high school longer may be a previously unrecognized strategy for STI prevention.
- Educational attainment is linked to sexual health outcomes, mediated partly by partner choice.
- Interventions aimed at reducing dropout rates could have positive public health implications for STI reduction.
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