The Center for the Economics of Reproductive Health
The Center for the Economics of Reproductive Health at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) seeks to advance public understanding and awareness of the link between access to reproductive health care services for women and their long-term economic security and well-being. We conduct original research and policy analysis at the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and reproductive health to improve economic outcomes, and educational and employment opportunities for all women.
As States Eye Texas-Style Abortion Bans, Economic Costs to Bottom Line and Women are High
Implementing abortion bans in target states like Texas could cost local economies nearly $20 billion and hurt women’s earnings and labor force participation.
Centering the Student Voice: Community Colleges and Sexual and Reproductive Health Access in Texas and Mississippi
Community college students’ lives outside of the classroom—including their sexual and reproductive health— can directly impact their ability to succeed in school, yet most community colleges do not provide sexual and reproductive health services (Bernstein and Reichlin Cruse 2020). Growing efforts to implement holistic approaches to student success also often ignore the role that sexual and reproductive health outcomes can play students’ academic careers.
Serving the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Community College Students: Promising Practices to Promote Student Success
Sexual and reproductive health and well-being plays a central role in the lives of young adults. The report describes existing gaps in service provision and highlights a range of practices that can be replicated and scaled up to expand access for community college students.
Integrating Workforce Development Programs and Pregnancy Prevention Services
This briefing paper explores the availability of and need for pregnancy prevention services among individuals enrolled in job training in the United States.
Improving Success in Higher Education through Increased Access to Reproductive Health Services
Pregnancy and childbearing have implications for a number of economic and social outcomes, including educational attainment (Sonfield et al. 2013). Yet young people are often left without the knowledge and tools to make informed reproductive health decisions. The majority of adolescents and young adults are sexually active but many hold incorrect or limited information about how to effectively avoid unintended pregnancies.
The Economic Effects of Contraceptive Access: A Review of the Evidence
Deciding whether and when to have a child is central to a woman’s economic well-being. It has implications for continuing education and joining the workforce, which can affect other long-term economic outcomes. As threats to abortion access increase and widen existing disparities, it is crucial to examine the range of economic effects that can result from this changing landscape.
