Abortion before & after Roe - PubMed (original) (raw)

Abortion before & after Roe

Ted Joyce et al. J Health Econ. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

We use unique data on abortions performed in New York State from 1971 to 1975 to demonstrate that women traveled hundreds of miles for a legal abortion before Roe. A 100-mile increase in distance for women who live approximately 183 miles from New York was associated with a decline in abortion rates of 12.2 percent whereas the same change for women who lived 830 miles from New York lowered abortion rates by 3.3 percent. The abortion rates of nonwhites were more sensitive to distance than those of whites. We found a positive and robust association between distance to the nearest abortion provider and teen birth rates but less consistent estimates for other ages. Our results suggest that even if some states lost all abortion providers due to legislative policies, the impact on population measures of birth and abortion rates would be small as most women would travel to states with abortion services.

Keywords: Abortion; Births; I1; J1; Roe v. Wade.

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Average Resident Abortion Rates for Abortions Performed in NY, 1971–1972

Figure 2

Figure 2

Birth Rates of Women 15–44 by Timing of Abortion Legalization

Figure 3

Figure 3

Average Distance in 100 Miles to New York by State, 1971–1972

Figure 4

Figure 4

Resident Abortion Rates for Abortions Performed in NY, 1973

Figure 5

Figure 5

Resident Abortion Rates for Abortions Performed in NY, 1975

Figure 6

Figure 6

Resident Abortion Rates by Distance to the Nearest New York Legal Abortion Provider

Figure 7

Figure 7

Distance to the Nearest Abortion Provider (in 100 miles)

References

    1. Angrist Joshua D, Evans William N. Schooling and Labor Market Consequences of the 1970 State Abortion Reforms. Research in Labor Economics. 1999;XVIII:75–111.
    1. Blank Rebecca M, George Christine C, London Rebecca A. State Abortion Rates the Impact of Policies, Providers, Politics, Demographics, and Economic Environment. Journal of Health Economics. 1996;15(5):513–553. -PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control. Family Planning Evaluation:1970. 1971
    1. Centers for Disease Control. Family Planning Evaluation:1971. 1972 Dec
    1. Centers for Disease Control. Abortion Surveillance:1972. 1974 Apr

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