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The Impact of Women’s Health Clinic Closures on Fertility

Author

Listed:
  • Yao Lu

    (Analysis Group, Inc., 111 Huntington Avenue, 14th Floor, Boston, MA 02199)

  • David J.G. Slusky

    (Department of Economics, The University of Kansas;)

Abstract

The government of Texas recently enacted multiple restrictions and funding limitations on women’s health organizations that provide abortion services or are associated with those that do. These policies have caused numerous clinic closures throughout the state, drastically reducing access to care. We study the impact of these clinic closures on fertility by combining quarterly snapshots of health center addresses from a network of women's health centers with restricted geotagged data of all Texas birth certificates for 2007–2013. We calculate the driving distance to the nearest clinic for each ZIP code, and find that an increase of 100 miles to the nearest clinic results in a 1.2 percent increase in the birth rate. This increase is driven by fertility changes for unmarried women and those having their first or second child. It also reduces average maternal age.

Suggested Citation

  • Yao Lu & David J.G. Slusky, 2016. "The Impact of Women’s Health Clinic Closures on Fertility," WORKING PAPERS SERIES IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED ECONOMICS 201607, University of Kansas, Department of Economics, revised Aug 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:kan:wpaper:201607
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    File URL: http://www2.ku.edu/~kuwpaper/2016Papers/201607.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Hill, Elaine L. & Slusky, David J.G. & Ginther, Donna K., 2019. "Reproductive health care in Catholic-owned hospitals," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 48-62.
    2. Fischer, Stefanie & Royer, Heather & White, Corey, 2018. "The impacts of reduced access to abortion and family planning services on abortions, births, and contraceptive purchases," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 43-68.
    3. Lindo, Jason M. & Pineda-Torres, Mayra, 2021. "New Evidence on the Effects of Mandatory Waiting Periods for Abortion," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    4. Packham, Analisa, 2017. "Family planning funding cuts and teen childbearing," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 168-185.
    5. Joanna Venator & Jason Fletcher, 2021. "Undue Burden Beyond Texas: An Analysis of Abortion Clinic Closures, Births, and Abortions in Wisconsin," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(3), pages 774-813, June.
    6. Barton Willage & Marisa Carlos & Kevin Callison, 2023. "Non‐monetary obstacles to medical care: Evidence from postpartum contraceptives," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 1045-1064, September.
    7. Clarke, Damian & Mühlrad, Hanna, 2021. "Abortion laws and women’s health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    8. Syed Hasan & Tasnima Akter & Musharrat Jahan & Ashraf Dewan, 2023. "Proximity to healthcare centres and service use: The case of Community Clinics in Bangladesh," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 819-849, July.
    9. Martin Andersen & Sylvia Bryan & David Slusky, 2020. "COVID-19 Restrictions Reduced Abortion Clinic Visits, Even in Blue States," NBER Working Papers 28058, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Balia, Silvia & Brau, Rinaldo & Moro, Daniela, 2020. "Choice of hospital and long-distances: Evidence from Italy," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    11. Grace Arnold, 2022. "The impact of targeted regulation of abortion providers laws on abortions and births," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1443-1472, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Women’s Health; Family Planning; Abortion; Contraception; Birth Rate; Access; Restriction; Law; Texas;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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