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Roe v Wade and American fertility
P B Levine1, D Staiger, T J Kane
1Department of Economics, Wellesley College, MA 02181, USA. plevine@wellesley.edu
American Journal of Public Health
|February 9, 1999
Summary
Abortion legalization significantly reduced fertility rates by 4% in the US. Legalization particularly impacted births to teens, older women, non-White, and unmarried women.
Area of Science:
- Demography
- Public Health
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Fertility rates are influenced by various socioeconomic and policy factors.
- The legalization of abortion represents a significant policy shift with potential demographic consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of abortion legalization on fertility rates in the United States.
- To analyze differential effects across demographic subgroups.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of fertility rates over time.
- Examination of states with varying timelines for abortion legalization.
Main Results:
- States legalizing abortion saw a 4% decrease in fertility compared to those without changes.
- Substantial reductions in births were observed among teens, women over 35, non-White women, and unmarried women.
- An estimated 11% birth rate reduction was projected if interstate travel for abortions was negligible.
Conclusions:
- Nationwide abortion recriminalization could lead to approximately 440,000 additional births annually.
- Reversal of Roe v. Wade with some state-level legal exceptions would mitigate the birth rate increase due to interstate travel for abortions.