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Effects Of Price And Availability On Abortion Demand

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  • STEPHAN F. GOHMANN
  • ROBERT L. OHSFELDT

Abstract

Over 1.5 million legal abortions were performed in the United States in 1988. State‐level regulation affecting the price or availability of abortion services may expand given recent Supreme Court decisions. This paper uses state‐level data pooled over time to estimate abortion demand. Using single cross‐sections of state data, past studies find abortion demand per 1,000 pregnancies to be price inelastic and find income elasticity to be positive and significant. The analysis here shows that price elasticity estimates in a single cross‐section are sensitive to the choice of state characteristics used to control for “abortion attitudes” within a state. Ajixed‐efects model design with pooled data gives more robust abortion demand price elasticity estimates. The results suggest that any new state regulations that increase the costs of obtaining abortions will reduce abortion use and increase unintended fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephan F. Gohmann & Robert L. Ohsfeldt, 1993. "Effects Of Price And Availability On Abortion Demand," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 11(4), pages 42-55, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:11:y:1993:i:4:p:42-55
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-7287.1993.tb00400.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ressler, Rand W. & Waters, Melissa S. & Hill, R. Carter, 2011. "Welfare Reform and the Spread of HIV," Review of Applied Economics, Lincoln University, Department of Financial and Business Systems, vol. 7(1-2), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Christopher Balding, 2010. "A Modest Proposal for a Two‐Sided Market Clearing Institution under Asymmetric Supply Constraints with Skewed Pricing: The Market for Adoption and Abortion in the United States," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 12(6), pages 1059-1080, December.
    3. repec:mpr:mprres:6548 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Medoff, Marshall H., 2003. "The impact of anti-abortion activities on state abortion rates," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 265-282, July.
    5. Silvie Colman & Ted Joyce, 2011. "Regulating abortion: Impact on patients and providers in Texas," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 775-797, September.
    6. Gorkem Turgut Ozer & Brad N. Greenwood & Anandasivam Gopal, 2023. "Digital Multisided Platforms and Women’s Health: An Empirical Analysis of Peer-to-Peer Lending and Abortion Rates," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(1), pages 223-252, March.
    7. John J Donohue & Steven Levitt, 2020. "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime over the Last Two Decades," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 22(2), pages 241-302.
    8. Medoff, Marshall H., 1999. "An estimate of teenage abortion demand," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 175-184, July.
    9. Robert W. Brown & R. Todd Jewell, 1996. "The Impact Of Provider Availability On Abortion Demand," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 14(2), pages 95-106, April.
    10. Blank, Rebecca M. & George, Christine C. & London, Rebecca A., 1996. "State abortion rates the impact of policies, providers, politics, demographics, and economic environment," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 513-553, October.
    11. Silvie Colman & Theodore J. Joyce, "undated". "Regulating Abortion: Impact on Patients and Providers in Texas," Mathematica Policy Research Reports db01943e8d23431ca26fe3eaf, Mathematica Policy Research.
    12. Laura S. Hussey, 2006. "Are Social Welfare Policies "Pro-Life"? An Individual-Level Analysis of Low-Income Women," Working Papers 896, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    13. repec:pri:crcwel:wp07-12-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Robert L. Ohsfeldt & Stephan F. Gohmann, 1994. "Do Parental Involvement Laws Reduce Adolescent Abortion Rates?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 12(2), pages 65-76, April.
    15. Marshall Medoff, 2008. "The Response of Abortion Demand to Changes in Abortion Costs," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 87(2), pages 329-346, June.
    16. Rand W. Ressler & Melissa S. Waters & John Keith Watson, 2006. "Contributing Factors to the Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(4), pages 943-961, October.
    17. Mark Gius, 2019. "Using the Synthetic Control Method to Determine the Effect of Ultrasound Laws on State-Level Abortion Rates," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 47(2), pages 205-215, June.
    18. Laura S. Hussey, 2010. "Welfare Generosity, Abortion Access, and Abortion Rates: A Comparison of State Policy Tools," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(1), pages 266-283, March.
    19. Marshall Medoff, 2007. "Price, Restrictions and Abortion Demand," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 583-599, December.
    20. Robert W. Brown & R. Todd Jewell & Jeffrey J. Rous, 2001. "Provider Availability, Race, and Abortion Demand," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 67(3), pages 656-671, January.

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