The Impact of Health Insurance and Abortion Policies on Women‘s Choice of Contraceptive Intensity in the United States

Josephine Jacobs, Lund University and University of Toronto
Maria A. Stanfors, Lund University

This study investigates the contraceptive decision-making process of women in the U.S. by applying an economic framework that takes into account contraceptive costs at the time of consumption (i.e., the presence of health insurance) and future costs in the event of contraceptive failure (i.e., expected abortion costs). We use the 1995 and 2002 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth to estimate multinomial logit regression models on the relative risks of using hormonal contraceptives and other contraceptives compared to using no contraception at all, and explore whether this choice is impacted by the state abortion and health insurance contexts. We also use difference-in-difference to assess the effects of legal changes. The results indicate a positive association between having health insurance and using hormonal contraceptives, and a negative association between using hormonal contraceptives and living in a state where abortion access is less restricted.