Pentecostal Mayors, Sexual Education, and Teenage Pregnancy

TL;DR

This study shows that Pentecostal mayors in Brazil reduce sexual education in schools, leading to increased teenage pregnancy, STD rates, and dropouts, highlighting the influence of religious-political power on youth health outcomes.

Contribution

It provides causal evidence that Pentecostal political influence decreases school-based sexual education, affecting teenage health and behavior in Brazil.

Findings

Pentecostal mayors increase teenage fertility by 40%.

School sexual education programs decrease by 12.5 percentage points under Pentecostal mayors.

Elevated STD rates and dropout rates are observed among affected cohorts.

Abstract

A growing literature documents how religious institutions shape behavior through social influence, but less is known about what happens when religious movements gain political power and use the tools of government to advance their agenda. We use a regression discontinuity design on close mayoral elections in Brazil to show that mayors from parties institutionally tied to Pentecostal denominations increase teenage fertility 3 per 1,000 higher (a 40% increase). This effect appears for cohorts exposed to middle school during the administration. Consistent with a school-based mechanism, we find that the likelihood that municipal schools offer sexual education programs falls by 12.5 percentage points, with no changes in state schools outside mayoral control. We also find elevated STD rates, and higher middle school dropout rates, while slightly older cohorts show no effects. Results are not explained by changes in contraceptive availability in public clinics, pointing to sexual education as the primary mechanism. We also find no effects from other right-wing parties, indicating the importance of institutional links to Pentecostal parties.