Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP17361
Authors: Gianmarco Lenciliotta; Dijana Zejcirovic; Fernando Fernández Bazán
Abstract: We study a large-scale family planning intervention in which more than 260,000 Peruvian women were sterilized. Many of these medical procedures are alleged to have been performed without patient consent. The subsequent disclosure of alleged illegal sterilizations caused reductions in the usage of contraceptive methods, prenatal and birth delivery services, and –more generally– the demand for medical services in affected areas. As a result, child health worsened. The results persist for at least 17 years after the information disclosure and are driven by disappointed supporters of the implementing government. Learning about the government’s malpractices undermined trust in institutions.
Keywords: trust; public policy; reproductive health
JEL Codes: O10; I14; I18; N36
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Disclosure of human rights abuses (J83) | health service utilization (I11) |
| Disclosure of human rights abuses (J83) | prenatal care (J13) |
| Disclosure of human rights abuses (J83) | child health outcomes (I14) |
| 10% increase in reported cases of forced sterilizations (J79) | 0.9% decrease in contraceptive usage (J13) |
| 10% increase in reported cases of forced sterilizations (J79) | 44% reduction in prenatal care and professional help during childbirth (I14) |
| 10% increase in reported illegal sterilizations (J79) | 49% deterioration in child health (I14) |
| Baseline support for government (H10) | trust in institutions responsible for public health provision (I18) |