Estimating the Impact of U.S. International Family Planning Policies on HIV/AIDS Infection Rates in Sub-Saharan Africa

Elizabeth Asiedu, University of Kansas
Donna K. Ginther, University of Kansas

This paper examines whether the Mexico City Policy, which restricts organizations that receive U.S. family planning funds from discussing abortion, affected the AIDS crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although abortion and HIV/AIDS are not directly associated, the Mexico City Policy resulted in large funding cuts for non-governmental organizations that received U.S. funding and provided family planning services in Africa. Using data from 44 countries from 1970 – 2001 and difference-in-differences estimation, we find that the Mexico City Policy significantly increased AIDS infection rates in countries that received U.S. family planning funds.