The effect of abortion restrictions on the timing of abortions

Abstract

This paper uses data on the distribution of abortions by weeks of gestation to examine the relationship between abortion restrictions and the timing of abortions. State-level data from 1974 to 1997 indicate that adoption of parental involvement laws for minors or enforcement of mandatory waiting periods is positively associated with the post-first trimester percentage of abortions. However, autocorrelation-corrected specifications indicate that enforced parental involvement laws increase the share of later-term abortions by lowering the first trimester abortion rate rather than by delaying abortions. Medicaid funding restrictions generally do not have a significant effect on the timing of abortions in our results.