"Contraceptive Reforms and Women's Health -- Evidence from Natural Experiments"
18/9, 17h | Sala Principal
Seminario - Damian Clarke
Abstract
We study the role which the expansion of legal contraceptives can play in improving women's health outcomes. Specifically, we seek to determine whether the availability of new contraceptive technologies impacts rates of maternal morbidities such as haemorrhage and abortion related morbidity. We examine this empirically in two natural experiments. The first is the decriminalisation of abortion in the Federal District of Mexico in 2007. And the second is the rollout of the emergency contraceptive ("morning after") pill in Chile between 2008-2012. Using difference-in-difference, event study, and synthetic control techniques, we observe that in both settings, rates of maternal morbidities fell following the rollout of the technology, and these impacts are largest in areas where take-up was highest. These impacts are particularly noteworthy in Mexico, with immediate and large declines in rates of haemorrhage early in pregnancy, consistent with these new technologies acting as a substitute for riskier clandestine abortion procedures.
Damian Clarke
PhD in Economics, University of Oxford. Damian Clarke is a researcher and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Santiago, Chile. His research focuses on maternal and child health, and family fertility decisions. In particular, his papers examine the impact of public programs on maternal mortality and morbidity, early life health outcomes for children, and the determinants of parental investment in children.
We study the role which the expansion of legal contraceptives can play in improving women's health outcomes. Specifically, we seek to determine whether the availability of new contraceptive technologies impacts rates of maternal morbidities such as haemorrhage and abortion related morbidity. We examine this empirically in two natural experiments. The first is the decriminalisation of abortion in the Federal District of Mexico in 2007. And the second is the rollout of the emergency contraceptive ("morning after") pill in Chile between 2008-2012. Using difference-in-difference, event study, and synthetic control techniques, we observe that in both settings, rates of maternal morbidities fell following the rollout of the technology, and these impacts are largest in areas where take-up was highest. These impacts are particularly noteworthy in Mexico, with immediate and large declines in rates of haemorrhage early in pregnancy, consistent with these new technologies acting as a substitute for riskier clandestine abortion procedures.
Damian Clarke
PhD in Economics, University of Oxford. Damian Clarke is a researcher and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Santiago, Chile. His research focuses on maternal and child health, and family fertility decisions. In particular, his papers examine the impact of public programs on maternal mortality and morbidity, early life health outcomes for children, and the determinants of parental investment in children.