Havley, Simon2024-07-012024-07-012023-06Havley, Simon. (2023). HIV/AIDS and Educational Attainment Among South African Children and Adolescents [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WirDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38793https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38793A research Report (ECON7053A) submitted in partial fulfillment (50%) of the Degree of Master of Commerce (CCA01 – Health Economics) in the School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, 2023This study examines the effects of HIV-infection, antiretroviral treatment exposure and viral load suppression on indicators of educational attainment among children and adolescents of school-going age in South Africa using data from a nationally representative survey and linked biomedical information. This study employs propensity score matching-based approaches to examine the effects of HIV-related indicators on educational attainment overall and within each gender. This study also uses decomposition analyses to examine the contribution of HIV- related indicators to gender gaps in educational attainment, and to identify factors contributing to differences in the impacts of HIV-related factors on educational attainment of females specifically. It is found that HIV-positive status has a significant impact on the likelihood of school attendance, absenteeism, and being old for one’s grade. This is the case for all children and adolescents of school-going age. These effects are statistically significant for girls but not for boys. The study also finds that HIV-related factors contribute to gender gaps in school attendance, and that these gaps are observed in all tiers of the HIV treatment cascade. These results indicate that HIV-related factors impact disproportionately and negatively on educational attainment for girls. Further research on the gendered nature of the impact of HIV on education in South Africa is encouraged, as is the design of health and education policies that specifically target improved education outcomes among HIV-positive girls.en© 2023 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.HIV/AIDSEffects of HIV-infectionEducational attainmentAdolescentsUCTDSDG-4: Quality educationDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg