The Impact of Legal Abortion on Maternal Mortality

Abstract

Legal abortion has recently been suggested as an essential healthcare service. In this study, we consider whether abortion legalization over 1969-1973 improved women’s health, measured by maternal mortality. Our event-study results indicate that legal abortion substantially lowered non-white maternal mortality by 30-40%, with 113 non-white maternal deaths averted nationally in the first year abortion became legal. We also find that early state-level legalizations were crucial, and more influential than the Roe v. Wade decision itself.

Note:
Funding Information: None to declare.

Declaration of Interests: Dr. Pesko reports separate funding exceeding $10,000 over the past three years from the American Cancer Society, University of Kentucky’s Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Pesko is an executive board member of the Tobacco Online Policy Seminar. Dr. Hoehn-Velasco reports separate funding from the National Institutes of Health. All others have nothing to declare.

Keywords: Abortion, Legal Abortion, Maternal Mortality, Roe v. Wade, Maternal Health

JEL Classification: I18, J13, K38, H75