#33 - The Economics of Reproduction, Part 1: The Choice Not to Give Birth

The Fairer Cents: Women, Money and the Fight to Get Equal

Today’s show is the first in a two-part series all about the economic implications of reproducing — or not reproducing. On the next episode, we’ll talk about the wide range of financial implications of giving birth for women and others who can get pregnant, but today we’re talking about the massive financial impacts of not being forced to have children you don’t want to have for any number of reasons, impacts that go well beyond women themselves. In this episode, Tanja talks to Brigette Courtot of Urban Institute about the economic impacts on women of having access to birth control, and Kara talks to Anna Bernstein of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research about the economic impacts of abortion. Thanks to our sponsors Upstart and Freshbooks for their support of the show.

Links:

• Urban Institute Health Policy Center reproductive health and access data and analysis
• Brigette Courtot’s bio and publications
• Anna Bernstein’s bio and publications
• IWPR’s Fact Sheet: “The Economic Effects of Contraceptive Access: A Review of the Evidence”
• New York Times piece by Lyndsay Werking-Yip: “I Had a Late-Term Abortion. I Am Not a Monster.”
• Vox piece by Dr. Cheryl Axelrod: “I’m an OB-GYN who had a 2nd-trimester abortion. The 20-week ban bill is dangerous.”
• Slate piece by Margot Finn: “I Had a Late-Term Abortion. President Trump and Pro-Lifers Have No Right to Call Me a Murderer.”
• From The Guardian: “Ohio bill orders doctors to ‘reimplant ectopic pregnancy’ or face ‘abortion murder’ charges”