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The unintended effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders on abortions

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  • Fernanda Marquez-Padilla

    (CIDE)

  • Biani Saavedra

    (CIDE)

Abstract

We study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and of government mandated mitigation policies on the number of abortions performed by Mexico City’s public abortion program. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders (SAHO) implemented in Mexico led to unintended consequences for women’s sexual and reproductive health. Using difference-in-differences and event study analyses, we show that SAHO and the pandemic led to a fall in abortions of around 25% and find no evidence that unsafe abortions increased. We find a decrease in the share of single and teenage women getting abortions, arguably due to fewer unwanted pregnancies from decreased sexual activity, and estimate that at most 9.8% of the total fall in abortions can be attributed to this. We complement our analysis using call data from a government helpline and show that the SAHO time period led to fewer abortion- and contraception-related calls but to an increase in pregnancy-related calls.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernanda Marquez-Padilla & Biani Saavedra, 2022. "The unintended effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders on abortions," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(1), pages 269-305, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:35:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s00148-021-00874-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00874-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Roland Pongou & Guy Tchuente & Jean-Baptiste Tondji, 2023. "Optimal interventions in networks during a pandemic," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(2), pages 847-883, April.
    2. Abu S. Shonchoy & Shatakshee Dhongde & Erdal Asker, 2023. "COVID-19 Lockdown and Neonatal Mortality: Evidence from India," Working Papers 2303, Florida International University, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Abortion; Reproductive health; COVID-19; Fertility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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