HIV and Marriage-Related Migration: A Longitudinal Analysis of Differential Risk of Migration by Sero-Status in Rural Uganda

Elizabeth A. Sully, Princeton University
Georges Reniers, Princeton University

Migration is regarded as a key element in the transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous research has centered on migration increasing susceptibility to HIV infection, and the subsequent transmission to migrants sexual partners, with a particular emphasis on male labor migration. This study investigates an alternative mechanism; hypothesizing that HIV-positive individuals may be more likely to migrate than their HIV-negative counterparts. Using annual survey data from an open population cohort in south-western Uganda, the sequence of migration and sero-conversion is examined over a 10-year period. Survival analysis and individual-level fixed effects regression analysis are employed to assess this relationship. Analysis is broken down by type of migration, emphasizing the role of marriage-related migration – including marital dissolution and partnership formation – in shaping women’s patterns of migration.