| This dissertation, in the first part, analyzes the impact of changes in the availability of abortion services on the demand of abortion. In the second part, the long-run effects of changes in restrictions to minors' access to abortion are examined.;Abortion incidence in the U.S. increased sharply after nationwide abortion legalization, but in the early 1980s the number and incidence of abortions steadily declined, reaching today levels not seen since the early 1970s. To explain these patterns, the role of accessibility to abortion services is investigated. The analysis employs a fixed effects model design with alternative measures of provider availability and alternative fixed effects specifications. The simultaneity problem in the demand and supply of abortion services is addressed by means of an instrumental variable approach. The results show that reduced availability of abortion providers is associated with a decline in county-level abortion rates over the sample period considered, and estimates are robust across a wide range of specifications. The results of the instrumentation strategy suggest that the observed correlation between abortion rates and reduced access to abortion services can be given a causal interpretation.;Starting in the early 1980s, states instituted laws such that minors were required to either notify a parent(s) or obtain their consent before receiving an abortion. Together, these laws are referred to as Parental Involvement laws. Previous research on parental laws has focused on the short-run impact on abortion behavior of minors, and to a less extent births. But the effect of parental involvement laws may go beyond the short-run and affect a woman's in the long-run. The objective is to investigate whether parental laws have impact on fertility and other socioeconomic outcomes in the long-run. The research design exploits the fact that states enacted Parental Involvement laws at different times to identify cohorts that have been more or less exposed to abortion restrictions as minors. The results show that women who were more exposed to abortion restrictions as minors experience higher fertility later in life and have lower educational attainment. |
