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The Consequences of Teenage Childbearing before Roe v. Wade

Author

Listed:
  • Kevin Lang Jr.
  • Russell Weinstein Jr.

Abstract

Using five cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth, we estimate the effect of teen motherhood on education, labor market, and marriage outcomes for teens conceiving from 1940 through 1968. Effects vary by marital status at conception, socioeconomic background, and year. Effects on teens married at conception were limited. However, teen mothers conceiving premaritally obtained less education and had a weaker marriage market. Teen mothers of the 1940s-1950s, affected by subsequent economic and social changes, were disadvantaged in the labor market of the 1970s. In the 1960s, teens for whom motherhood would be costly increasingly avoided pregnancy. (JEL I21, J13, J16, J23, J24, N32)

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Lang Jr. & Russell Weinstein Jr., 2015. "The Consequences of Teenage Childbearing before Roe v. Wade," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 169-197, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:7:y:2015:i:4:p:169-97
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.20130482
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    Cited by:

    1. Branson, Nicola & Byker, Tanya, 2018. "Causes and consequences of teen childbearing: Evidence from a reproductive health intervention in South Africa," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 221-235.
    2. Anna Aizer & Paul Devereux & Kjell Salvanes, 2022. "Grandparents, Moms, or Dads? Why Children of Teen Mothers Do Worse in Life," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(6), pages 2012-2047.
    3. Dana Rotz & Brian Goesling & Nicholas Redel & Menbere Shiferaw & Claire Smither-Wulsin, "undated". "Assessing the Benefits of Delayed Sexual Activity: A Synthesis of the Literature," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 16a96ac7ac69493eaeb7edba2, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Hande Inanc & Ariella Spitzer & Brian Goesling, "undated". "Assessing the Benefits of the Success Sequence for Economic Self-Sufficiency and Family Stability," Mathematica Policy Research Reports c812f6cb5ece40df8265d7eaa, Mathematica Policy Research.
    5. Deza, Monica, 2019. "Graduated driver licensing and teen fertility," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 51-62.
    6. David SAHN & Catalina HERRERA, 2014. "The Impact of Early Childbearing on Schooling and Cognitive Skills among Young Women in Madagascar," Working Papers 201428, CERDI.
    7. Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner & Jesse Matheson, 2016. "Access to education and teenage childbearing," Discussion Papers in Economics 16/15, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    8. Fletcher, Jason M. & Polos, Jessica, 2017. "Nonmarital and Teen Fertility," IZA Discussion Papers 10833, IZA Network @ LISER.
    9. Sevin Kaytan & Stwarth Piedra-Bonilla & Tom Zohar, 2025. "The Complementary Role of Information and Contraceptive Access in Teen Pregnancy," Working Papers wp2025_2507, CEMFI.
    10. Anna Aizer & Paul J. Devereux & Kjell G. Salvanes, 2019. "Grandparents, Mothers, or Fathers? Why Children of Teen Mothers do Worse in Life," Working Papers 201908, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    11. Mary A. Silles, 2019. "The Labor Market Consequences Of Teenage Childbearing," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(4), pages 694-713, October.
    12. Berthelon, Matías & Contreras, Dante & Kruger, Diana & Palma, María Isidora, 2025. "Early maternity and paternity. Effects on educational trajectories," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    13. Anna Aizer, 2017. "A Review Essay on Isabel Sawhill's Generation Unbound: Drifting into Sex and Parenting without Marriage and Laurence Steinberg's Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 55(2), pages 592-608, June.
    14. Lisa Schulkind & Danielle H. Sandler, 2019. "The Timing of Teenage Births: Estimating the Effect on High School Graduation and Later-Life Outcomes," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 345-365, February.
    15. Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner & Jesse Matheson, 2016. "Access to Education and Teenage Pregnancy," CINCH Working Paper Series 1604, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health, revised Aug 2016.
    16. Guldi, Melanie, 2016. "Title IX and the education of teen mothers," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 103-116.
    17. Devon Gorry, 2023. "Consequences of Teenage Childbearing on Child Outcomes in the United States," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(1), pages 225-254, January.
    18. Devon Gorry, 2019. "Heterogeneous Consequences of Teenage Childbearing," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2147-2168, December.
    19. Basu, Shubhashrita & Gorry, Devon, 2021. "Consequences of teenage childbearing on child health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • N32 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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