Abortion Regulation and Contraception Demand

• In Event: Contraception, Fertility, and Health in Changing Policy Landscapes

Abstract

Abortion bans raise the expected costs of pregnancy among women of reproductive age. Higher expected pregnancy costs may shift the demand for various types of contraception to reduce the risk of pregnancy. We study how post-Dobbs abortion regulations influence the uptake and continuation of short- and long-acting contraception, and how these effects vary based on local barriers to medical care and individual markers of forward-looking behavior. Using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database insurance claims data from 2016 to 2024, we track patients over time to analyze contraception decisions at both the extensive and intensive margins. Our study employs a difference-in-differences (DID) design, comparing contraception choices before and after the Dobbs decision between patients in states that implemented restrictive abortion policies and those in control states.

Author

• Mallory Dreyer, Indiana University
  Presenting Author