The Economic Consequences of Being Denied an Abortion / Sarah Miller, Laura R. Wherry, Diana Greene Foster.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Miller, Sarah.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Wherry, Laura R.

Foster, Diana Greene.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w26662.

NBER working paper series no. w26662

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2020.

Summary:

This paper evaluates the economic consequences of being denied an abortion due to gestational limits. We link credit report data to the Turnaway Study, the first study to collect high-quality, longitudinal data on women receiving or being denied a wanted abortion in the United States. We compare financial outcomes over a ten-year period for women who had pregnancies just above and below a gestational age limit allowing for a wanted abortion. Outcome trajectories are similar for the two groups of women prior to the abortion encounter. Following the encounter, women who were denied an abortion experience a large increase in financial distress that is sustained for several years. There is also some evidence of a short-term reduction in credit access, but no change in measures of borrowing. Our results highlight important financial and economic consequences of restrictions on abortion access.

Notes:

Print version record

January 2020.