AIDing Contraception: HIV and Recent Trends in Abortion Rates

Hussey, Andrew and Nikolsko-Rzhevskyy, Alex and Walker, Jay (2010): AIDing Contraception: HIV and Recent Trends in Abortion Rates.

Abstract

Since the onset of HIV/AIDS awareness in the early 1980s, much attention has centered around the substantial negative effects of the disease throughout the world. This paper provides evidence of a secondary effect the disease has had on sexual behavior in the United States. Using a difference-in-differences estimation framework and state level data, we show that the perceived threat of HIV resulted in a drop in unwanted pregnancies, as demonstrated by a lower incidence of abortions. Our results suggest that each additional reported case of HIV per 1,000 individuals resulted in 85.5 fewer abortions per 1,000 live births.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: HIV, abortion, fertility
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I30 - General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J13 - Fertility ; Family Planning ; Child Care ; Children ; Youth; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health

References

Ahituv, A., Hotz, V. J., and Philipson, T., “The Responsiveness of the Demand for Condoms to the Local Prevalence of AIDS.” The Journal of Human Resources. Vol. 31 No. 4 p. 869-897 University of Wisconsin Press (1996).

Ananat, E.O., Gruber, J. and Levine, P. “Abortion Legalization and Lifecycle Fertility,” Journal of Human Resources. Vol. 42 No. 2 pp. 375-397 (2007).

Ananat, E.O. and Hungerman, D. “The Power of the Pill for the Marginal Child: Oral Contraception's Effects on Fertility, Abortion, and Maternal & Child Characteristics,” Working Paper (2009).

Angrist, J. and Evans, W., “Schooling and Labor-Market Consequences of the 1970 State Abortion Reforms,” in Solomon Polachek and John Robst (eds.), Research in Labor Economics. Vol. 18 pp. 75-114 (1999).

Bhave G., Lindan C.P., Hudes E.S., Desai S., Wagle U., Tripathi S.P., Mandel J.S., “Impact of an intervention on HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and condom use among sex workers in Bombay, India.” Aids. July Supplement 1 p. S21-30 (1995).

Bitler, M.P. and Zavodny, M., “Child Maltreatment, Abortion Availability, and Economic Conditions.” Review of Economics of the Household. Vol. 2 No. 2 p. 119-141 (2004).

Chesson, H. W., Dee, T. S., and Aral, S. O., “AIDS Mortality May Have Contributed to the Decline in Syphilis Rates in the United States in the 1990s.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Vol. 30 Iss. 5 p. 419-424 (2003).

Daling, J.R., Brington, L.A., Voigt, L.F., Weiss, N.S., Crates, R.J., Malone, K.E., Schoenberg, J.B. and Gammon, M. “Risk of breast cancer among white women following induced abortion.” American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 144 No. 4 p. 373-380 (1996).

Donohue III, J.J. and Levitt, S.D., “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime.” Quarterly Journal of Economics. Vol. 116 No. 2 p. 379-420 (2001).

Dixon, S., McDonald, S. and Roberts, J., “The Impact of HIV and AIDS on Africa's Economic Development.” British Medical Journal. Vol. 324 No. 7331 p. 232-234 (2002).

Finer, L.B. and Henshaw, S.K., “Abortion incidence and services in the United States in 2000.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Vol. 35 No. 1 p. 6-15 (2003a).

Finer, L.B. and Henshaw, S.K., “The Accessibility of Abortion Services In the United States, 2001” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Vol. 35 No. 1 p. 16-24 (2003b).

Finer, L.B. and Henshaw, S.K., “Disparities in Rates of Unintended Pregnancy In the United States” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Vol. 38 No. 2 p. 90-96 (2006).

Gaigbe-Togbe, V. and Weinberger, M.B., “The Social and economic implications of HIV/AIDS.” African Population Studies. Vol. 19 No. 2 Sup B p. 31-59 (2004).

Gruber, J., Levine, P., and Staiger, D., “Abortion Legalization and Child Living Circumstances: Who is the 'Marginal Child?'” Quarterly Journal of Economics. Vol. 114 No. 1 pp. 263-292 (1999).

Jones, R.K., Darroch, J.E., and Henshaw, S.K., “Patterns in the Socioeconomic Characteristics of Women Obtaining Abortions in 2000–2001.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Vol. 34 No. 5 p. 226-235 (2002).

Kalist, D. E. and Molinari, N. A., “Abortion and Infant Homicide.” (February 2004). Available at Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN): http://ssrn.com/abstract=515182.

Klick, J. and Stratmann, T., “The Effect of Abortion Legalization on Sexual Behavior: Evidence From Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” The Journal of Legal Studies. Vol. 32 No. 2 p. 407-433 (2003).

Lakdawalla, D. and Sood, N. and Goldman, D., “HIV Breakthroughs and Risky Sexual Behavior.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Vol. 121 No. 3 p. 1063-1102 (2006).

Levine, P. Staiger, D., Kane, T. and Zimmerman, D. “Roe v. Wade and American Fertility,” American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 89 No. 1 pp. 199-203 (1999).

Mechoulan, S., “Risky Sexual Behavior, Testing, and HIV Treatments.” Forum for Health Economics & Policy. Vol. 10 No. 2 The Berkeley Electronic Press (2007).

Medoff, Marshall H., “Black Abortion Demand.” The Review of Black Political Economy. Vol. 28 No. 1 p. 29-36 (2000).

Moran, J.S., Janes, H.R., Peterman, T.A., and Stone, K.M., “Increase in condom sales following AIDS education and publicity, United States.” American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 80 No. 5 p. 607-608 (1990).

Rahmqvist, M., “The close relation between birth, abortion and employment rates in Sweden from 1980 to 2004.” Social Science & Medicine. Vol. 63 No. 5 p. 1262-1266 (2006).

Rothstein, D.S., “An economic approach to abortion demand.” The American Economist. Vol. 36 No. 1 p. 53-64 (1992).

Schackman, B. R., Gebo, K. A., Walensky, R. P., Losina, E., Muccio, T., Sax, P. E., Weinstein, M. C., Seage, Ge. R. III, Moore, R. D., Freedberg, K, A. “The Lifetime Cost of Current Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care in the United States.” Medical Care. Vol. 44 No. 11 p. 990-997 (2006).

Strunin, L. and Hingson, R., “Alcohol, drugs, and adolescent sexual behavior.” International Journal of the Addictions. Vol. 27 No. 2 p. 129-146 (1992).

Tomal, A., “Parental Involvement Laws, Religion, and Abortion Rates.” Gender Issues. Vol. 18 No. 4 p. 33-46 (2000).

Udry, J. R., Clark, L. T., Chase,C. L., and Levy, M., “Can Mass Media Advertising Increase Contraceptive Use?” Family Planning Perspectives. Vol. 4 No. 3 p. 37-44 (1972).

Wadhera, S. and Miller, W. J., “Marital Status and Abortion.” Health Reports. Vol. 9 No. 3 (1997).

Young, A. “The Gift of the Dying: The Tragedy of AIDS and the Welfare of Future African Generations.” Quarterly Journal of Economics. Vol. 120 p. 243-266 (2005).

Zabin, L.S. and Hirsch, M.B. and Emerson, M.R., “When urban adolescents choose abortion: effects on education, psychological status and subsequent pregnancy.” Family Planning Perspectives. Vol. 21 No. 6 p. 248-255 (1989).