RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 COVID-19 Restrictions Reduced Abortion Clinic Visits, Even in Blue States
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0123-12729R2
DO 10.3368/jhr.0123-12729R2
A1 Andersen, Martin
A1 Bryan, Sylvia
A1 Slusky, David
YR 2025
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/02/28/jhr.0123-12729R2.abstract
AB At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 33 states banned elective procedures, and 13 states used these bans to limit access to surgical abortions. We study the effects of these bans on visits to abortion clinics. Using a balanced panel of 757 abortion clinics, we find elective procedure bans lead to an 18% reduction in visits, and surgical abortion bans lead to a further 9% reduction, entirely from clinics that provided surgical abortions. These restrictions resulted in 18,000 fewer abortions in 2020 and 8400 additional births. These bans affected mobility to clinics in both traditionally “red” states and “blue” states.