The Impact of State Abortion Policies on the Abortion Rate

77 Pages·2015·0.36 MB·English

THE IMPACT OF STATE ABORTION POLICIES ON THE ABORTION RATE

A Thesis

Presented to the faculty of the Department of Public Policy and Administration
California State University, Sacramento

Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

by

Desiree Michelle Danel

SPRING
2015
© 2015

Desiree Michelle Danel
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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THE IMPACT OF STATE ABORTION POLICIES ON THE ABORTION RATE

A Thesis

by

Desiree Michelle Danel

Approved by:

__________________________________, Committee Chair
Charles W Gossett, PhD.

__________________________________, Second Reader
Su Jin Jez, PhD.

____________________________
Date

iii
Student: Desiree Michelle Danel

I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University
format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to
be awarded for the thesis.

__________________________, Department Chair ___________________
Mary Kirlin, D.P.A. Date

Department of Public Policy and Administration

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Abstract

of

THE IMPACT OF STATE ABORTION POLICIES ON THE ABORTION RATE

by

Desiree Michelle Danel

This thesis examines the impact of state mandated demand- and supply-side
abortion policies on the statewide abortion rate to determine which policies are most
effective at lowering state abortion rates. Ordinary least squares regression was used to
determine the specific impact and statistical significance of each policy on the state
abortion rate, while controlling for several demographic factors identified in the literature
as having an impact on a state’s abortion rate.
All five demand-side variables and one of the supply-side variables were found to
have a statistically insignificant relationship with a state’s abortion rate. My research
suggests that state abortion rates are largely unaffected by demand-side policies that
restrict access to abortion resources, making these policies ineffective and inefficient.
The only variable that was consistently correlated with lower abortion rates was a supply-
side variable analyzing the effect of comprehensive sex education taught in public
schools in lieu of abstinence-only sex education. This thesis recommends discontinuing
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federally and state funded abstinence-only sex education programs and switching to a
comprehensive sex education curriculum.

_______________________, Committee Chair
Charles W. Gossett, PhD.

_______________________
Date

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

List of Tables .................................................................................................................. ix
List of Figures ...................................................................................................................x
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1
Restrictive State Laws and Abortion Rates .........................................................1
Restrictive Abortion Service and Funding Policies ..............................................3
Abortion Rate Trends in the US............................................................................4

The Cost of Unintended Pregnancies ....................................................................5

Preventive Policies ................................................................................................6

Demographic Factors ............................................................................................9

Abortion Rate Determinants .................................................................................9

2. LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................12
The Hyde Amendment ........................................................................................12
Effects of Removing Funding for Abortion Services .........................................14
Non-Funding Restrictive Policies .......................................................................16
Preventive Policies ..............................................................................................21
Social and Cultural Variables Relationship to Abortion Rates .......................... 25

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3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 33
The Model for Determining Policy Effects on a State’s Abortion Rate .............33
Procedures for Data Collection ...........................................................................34
Procedures for Data Analysis..............................................................................38
4. FINDINGS ............................................................................................................... 47
Policies Restricting Access to Abortion Services do not Lower
Abortion Rates ..............................................................................................47
Abstinence-Only Education Correlates with Higher Abortion Rates .................47
Policies Seem to Affect Poorer Women Disproportionately ..............................48
5. CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................51
Policy Recommendations....................................................................................51
Study Limitations and Suggested Future Research ............................................54
Appendix 1. Data Set of Explanatory Variables ...........................................................56
Appendix 2. Data Set of Control Variables ..................................................................58
Appendix 3. Descriptive Statistics .................................................................................60
References Cited ............................................................................................................ 61
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LIST OF TABLES
Tables Page

1. Table of Variables, Predicted Relationship, and Data Source ............................39
2. Variance Inflation Factors...................................................................................41
3. Durbin-Watson Score..........................................................................................43
4. Pearson’s Correlation Matrix ..............................................................................44
5. Determinates of Abortion Rates in 50 States: 2011 ............................................46

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figures Page

1. Chart Showing Number of State Abortion Restrictions Enacted: 1985-2013……2

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