Working Paper: NBER ID: w23465
Authors: Martha J. Bailey; Jason M. Lindo
Abstract: Changes in childbearing affect almost every aspect of human existence. Over the last fifty years, American women have experienced dramatic changes in the ease and convenience of timing and limiting childbearing, ranging from the introduction of the birth control pill and the legalization of abortion to more recent availability of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). This article chronicles these changes, provides descriptive evidence regarding trends in use, and reviews the literature linking them to changes in childbearing and women’s economic outcomes.
Keywords: contraception; women's outcomes; family planning; economic outcomes
JEL Codes: I12; I13; I18; J1; J13; J18; N32
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Legalization of contraception (J13) | Reduced fertility rates (J13) |
| Introduction of the pill (Y20) | Reduced fertility rates (J13) |
| Federally funded family planning programs (I38) | Reduced fertility rates among lower-income women (J13) |
| Access to contraception (J13) | Improved women's educational attainment (I24) |
| Access to contraception (J13) | Increased workforce participation among women (J21) |
| Changes in abortion access and contraceptive availability (J13) | Interrelated effects on childbearing outcomes (J13) |