IUDs to Degrees: The Impact of Access to Contraceptives on High School Graduation Rates

Abstract

I evaluate the impact of increased access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) on high school graduation rates through studying the 2009 Colorado Family Planning Initiative (CFPI). The CFPI increased the availability and affordability of LARCs through existing family-planning clinics. I exploit the geographic variation in access to the program's resources by using an event study model to measure the differential change in graduation rates at high schools located near clinics after the program's implementation. My results show that female graduation rates increased by 2.16 percentage points at schools near clinics relative to elsewhere in the state following the introduction of CFPI, and heterogeneous analysis shows that the results are driven by the Hispanic and Black female population. The findings suggest that access to reliable and affordable birth control improves the ability of a girl to invest in her education.

Keywords: Contraception, education, Graduation Rate, IUDs, LARCs, human capital