Economics and Reproductive Health and Rights are Closely Intertwined
Economics and reproductive health and rights are connected issues. Especially in states where abortion is banned and contraception faces increasing attacks, associated costs for care can vary widely. Kate Bahn, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, sits down to talk with us about the economic impacts of attacks to reproductive health and rights—on an individual, local, and national level.
Access (or lack thereof) to abortion and contraception can carry a host of indirect and direct financial consequences. Costs from traveling to access abortion, obtaining childcare, and booking lodging can impact how people make their reproductive choices. Individuals can also be financially impacted by unplanned fertility outcomes, such as having a child at a time when they were not planning to. To learn more, you can find our podcast episode on the Turnaway Study with Dr. Diana Greene Foster here. Other financial considerations should also be afforded to those undergoing invitro fertilization and navigating miscarriage. In addition, research shows that those who have access to contraception and abortion experience more flexibility and exploration in academic and professional opportunities.
Links from this episode
Institute for Women’s Policy on X
Institute for Women’s Policy on Facebook
What Happens to Those Who are Turned Away From Accessing Abortion?
The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having--Or Being Denied--An Abortion
The Case for Redefining Infertility
IWPR’s Most Recent Estimates of the Costs of Reproductive Rights Restrictions
Power of the Pill or Power of Abortion? Re-Examining the Effects of Young Women's Access to Reproductive Control
TRAP’d Teens: Impacts of Abortion Provider Regulations on Fertility & Education
Do US TRAP Laws Trap Women Into Bad Jobs?
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Transcript
Jennie: Welcome to rePROs Fight Back, a podcast on all things related to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. [music intro]
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Follow the Institute for Women’s Policy Research on X and Facebook to keep up to date on new research and publications. If you’d like to learn more about economics and reproductive health and rights, find resources in the ‘Links’ section on the podcast episode’s page.
Engage with state and local politics, particularly if you are in a state that attacks reproductive rights!
If you can, donate to abortion funds—particularly a recurring donation that they can depend on. You can find your local funds here.