The Abortion Landscape: Restrictions and Protections in the American States 1988–2017

Deborah McFarlane , University of New Mexico
Wendy Hansen, University of New Mexico
Andrzej Kulczycki, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Abortion policies vary considerably by state, greatly affecting the conditions under which abortion services are accessed or provided. This study analyzes the determinants of total and enforced aggregate state abortion restrictions and abortion protections over a thirty year period (1988-2017). Drawing from an original data set, cross-sectional time series analysis shows that political forces, religious adherence, pro-life spending, and other socioeconomic forces explain states’ overall abortion environments. We expect that political factors and spending amount also affect which laws are enforced. Preliminary analyses show that factors associated with state abortion restrictions differ significantly from those explaining state abortion protections.

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 Presented in Session 53. Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health: Policy and Government Intervention