The impact that place of residence during childhood and adolescence has on sexual behavior and health attitudes in adulthood

This paper explores the relationship between place of residence (urban/rural) during childhood and sexual behavior of Malawian men. Data from approximately 1300 men aged 18 to 40 are used in the analysis. Men raised predominantly in rural areas, initiate sex later (approximately 1 year later than those raised predominantly in urban areas), but experience fertility (2.2 children). The relationship between sexual behavior practices and the cumulative amount of time lived in an urban area shows that the longer an individual resides in an urban area the more frequently he will use a condom, after about 10 years the relationship flattens. This suggests that migrants adjust their behavior over time but it is a relatively slow adjustment. In a context with high HIV rates (higher in rural areas) and a high urbanization rate it suggests that HIV prevention policies should be targeted to such groups to accelerate this condom adoption process.