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Do parental involvement laws deter risky teen sex?

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  • Colman, Silvie
  • Dee, Thomas S.
  • Joyce, Ted

Abstract

Parental involvement (PI) laws require that physicians notify or obtain consent from a parent(s) of a minor seeking an abortion before performing the procedure. Several studies suggest that PI laws curb risky sexual behavior because teens realize that they would be compelled to discuss a subsequent pregnancy with a parent. We show that prior evidence based on gonorrhea rates overlooked the frequent under-reporting of gonorrhea by race and ethnicity, and present new evidence on the effects of PI laws using more current data on the prevalence of gonorrhea and data that are novel to this literature (i.e., chlamydia rates and data disaggregated by year of age). We improve the credibility of our estimates over those in the existing literature using an event-study design in addition to standard difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) models. Our findings consistently suggest no association between PI laws and rates of sexually transmitted infections or measures of sexual behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Colman, Silvie & Dee, Thomas S. & Joyce, Ted, 2013. "Do parental involvement laws deter risky teen sex?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 873-880.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:32:y:2013:i:5:p:873-880
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2013.06.003
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    1. Colman, S. & Joyce, T. & Kaestner, R., 2008. "Misclassification bias and the estimated effect of parental involvement laws on adolescents' reproductive outcomes," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(10), pages 1881-1885.
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    4. Colman, Silvie & Dee, Thomas S. & Joyce, Ted, 2013. "Do parental involvement laws deter risky teen sex?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 873-880.
    5. Levine, Phillip B., 2003. "Parental involvement laws and fertility behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 861-878, September.
    6. Blum, R.W. & Resnick, M.D. & Stark, T.A., 1987. "The impact of a parental notification law on adolescent abortion decision-making," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 77(5), pages 619-620.
    7. Joyce, Theodore & Kaestner, Robert, 1996. "State reproductive policies and adolescent pregnancy resolution: The case of parental involvement laws," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 579-607, October.
    8. Averett, S.L. & Rees, D.I. & Argys, L.M., 2002. "The impact of government policies and neighborhood characteristics on teenage sexual activity and contraceptive use," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(11), pages 1773-1778.
    9. Robert L. Ohsfeldt & Stephan F. Gohmann, 1994. "Do Parental Involvement Laws Reduce Adolescent Abortion Rates?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 12(2), pages 65-76, April.
    10. Thomas J. Kane & Douglas Staiger, 1996. "Teen Motherhood and Abortion Access," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 467-506.
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    12. Merz, J.F. & Jackson, C.A. & Klerman, J.A., 1995. "A Review of Abortion Policy: Legality, Medicaid Funding and Parental Involvement, 1967-1994," Papers 95-14, RAND - Labor and Population Program.
    13. Cartoof, V.G. & Klerman, L.V., 1986. "Parental consent for abortion: Impact of the Massachusetts law," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 76(4), pages 397-400.
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Parental involvement laws have no influence on teen sex behavior
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2013-03-18 19:20:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Paton, David & Wright, Liam, 2017. "The effect of spending cuts on teen pregnancy," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 135-146.
    2. Zheng, Emily Yiying, 2018. "Can technology really help to reduce underage drinking? New evidence on the effects of false ID laws with scanner provisions," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 102-112.
    3. Fischer, Stefanie & Royer, Heather & White, Corey, 2018. "The impacts of reduced access to abortion and family planning services on abortions, births, and contraceptive purchases," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 43-68.
    4. Brandyn F. Churchill, 2024. "State‐mandated school‐based BMI assessments and self‐reported adolescent health behaviors," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(1), pages 63-86, January.
    5. Dills, Angela K. & Grecu, Anca M., 2017. "Effects of state contraceptive insurance mandates," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 30-42.
    6. Stefanie Fischer & Heather Royer & Corey White, 2017. "The Impacts of Reduced Access to Abortion and Family Planning Services: Evidence from Texas," Working Papers 1705, California Polytechnic State University, Department of Economics.
    7. Ana Reynoso & Martín A. Rossi, 2019. "Teenage Risky Behavior And Parental Supervision: The Unintended Consequences Of Multiple Shifts School Systems," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(2), pages 774-791, April.
    8. Colman, Silvie & Dee, Thomas S. & Joyce, Ted, 2013. "Do parental involvement laws deter risky teen sex?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 873-880.
    9. Sabia, Joseph J. & Anderson, D. Mark, 2016. "The effect of parental involvement laws on teen birth control use," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 55-62.
    10. Clarke, Damian, 2023. "The Economics of Abortion Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 16395, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Luca Pieroni & Melcior Rosselló Roig & Luca Salmasi & Gilberto Turati, 2023. "Legal status and voluntary abortions by immigrants," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza def126, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    12. Myers, Caitlin & Ladd, Daniel, 2020. "Did parental involvement laws grow teeth? The effects of state restrictions on minors’ access to abortion," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    13. Karen Mulligan, 2016. "Access to Emergency Contraception and its Impact on Fertility and Sexual Behavior," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(4), pages 455-469, April.
    14. Zhao, Chunkai & Wu, Yaqian & Guo, Jianhao, 2022. "Mobile payment and Chinese rural household consumption," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Parental involvement law; Sexually transmitted infections; Minors; Risky sexual behavior;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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