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Assessing Plan B: The Effect of the Morning After Pill on Children and Women

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  • Andrea Bentancor
  • Damian Clarke

Abstract

We test whether the availability of the emergency contraceptive (‘morning after’) pill in the absence of legalised abortion can have effects similar to those of other large†scale contraceptive reforms. To do so, we examine a quasi†experimental policy reform occurring in Chile in 2008. Using vital statistics covering all births and foetal deaths over the period 2006–12, we show that the availability of the emergency contraceptive pill reduces pregnancy and early gestation foetal death, which we argue proxies for illegal abortion. Our results suggest that in the context of Chile, a country with among the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, the emergency contraceptive pill had effects around a third as large as various abortion reforms observed in other contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Bentancor & Damian Clarke, 2017. "Assessing Plan B: The Effect of the Morning After Pill on Children and Women," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 127(607), pages 2525-2552, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:econjl:v:127:y:2017:i:607:p:2525-2552
    DOI: 10.1111/ecoj.12390
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nuevo-Chiquero, Ana & Pino, Francisco J., 2019. "To Pill or Not to Pill? Access to Emergency Contraception and Contraceptive Behaviour," IZA Discussion Papers 12076, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Annarita Macchioni Giaquinto, 2022. "The power of the (red) pill in Europe: pharmaceutical innovation and female empowerment," Working Papers 2022:09, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    3. Clarke, Damian & Cortés, Gustavo & Vergara, Diego, 2017. "Growing Together: Assessing Equity and Effciency in an Early-Life Health Program in Chile," Research Department working papers 1139, CAF Development Bank Of Latinamerica.
    4. Chu, Yu-Wei Luke & Cuffe, Harold E & Doan, Nguyen, 2021. "Motherhood Employment Penalty and Gender Wage Gap Across Countries: 1990–2010," Working Paper Series 9446, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    5. Pablo Celhay & Emilio Depetris-Chauvin & María Cristina Riquelme, 2020. "When a Strike Streikes Twice: Massive Student Mobilizations and Teenage," Documentos de Trabajo 550, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    6. Cáceres-Delpiano, Julio & Giolito, Eugenio & Castillo, Sebastián, 2018. "Early impacts of college aid," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 154-166.
    7. Clarke, Damian & Salinas, Viviana, 2020. "Access to The Emergency Contraceptive Pill Improves Women's Health: Evidence from Chile," IZA Discussion Papers 13134, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Zuleika Ferre & Patricia Triunfo & José‐Ignacio Antón, 2023. "Subdermal contraceptive implants and repeat teenage motherhood: Evidence from a major maternity hospital‐based program in Uruguay," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(12), pages 2679-2693, December.
    9. Rau, Tomás & Sarzosa, Miguel & Urzúa, Sergio, 2021. "The children of the missed pill," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. Chu, Yu-Wei Luke & Cuffe, Harold E. & Doan, Nguyen, 2020. "Motherhood Employment Penalty and Gender Wage Gap Across Countries: 1990–2010," MPRA Paper 99866, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Damian Clarke & Gustavo Cortés Méndez & Diego Vergara Sepúlveda, 2020. "Growing together: assessing equity and efficiency in a prenatal health program," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(3), pages 883-956, July.
    12. Pfeifer, Gregor & Stockburger, Mirjam, 2023. "The morning after: Prescription-free access to emergency contraceptive pills," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. Wanda Cabella & Cecilia Velázquez, 2025. "The recent decline to very low fertility levels by education in five Latin American countries (2010–2022)," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 1-33, December.

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