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Contraceptive Supply and Fertility Outcomes: Evidence from Ghana

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  • Kelly M. Jones

Abstract

Total fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa are nearly double that of any other region in the world. Some argue that providing contraceptives has only a negligibly small impact on fertility. I exploit exogenous, temporary reductions in contraceptive supply in Ghana, resulting from cuts in US funding, to examine impacts on pregnancy, abortion, and births. Women are unable to fully compensate for the 10%-16% supply reduction using traditional methods for preventing pregnancy, which increases by 10%. Only nonpoor women offset these unwanted pregnancies with induced abortion. Using separate data, I find that poor women experience increases in realized fertility of 7%-10%.

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  • Kelly M. Jones, 2015. "Contraceptive Supply and Fertility Outcomes: Evidence from Ghana," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(1), pages 31-69.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/682981
    DOI: 10.1086/682981
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    Cited by:

    1. Finlay, Jocelyn E., 2021. "Women’s reproductive health and economic activity: A narrative review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    2. Brittany Moore & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers & Ernestina Coast & Samantha R Lattof & Cheri Poss, 2021. "History and scientific background on the economics of abortion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-9, September.
    3. David E. Bloom & Dara Lee Luca, 2016. "The Global Demography of Aging: Facts, Explanations, Future," PGDA Working Papers 13016, Program on the Global Demography of Aging.
    4. J.M. Ian Salas, 2012. "Consequences of withdrawal : Free condoms and birth rates in the Philippines," UP School of Economics Discussion Papers 201220, University of the Philippines School of Economics.
    5. Clarke, Damian, 2023. "The Economics of Abortion Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 16395, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Gitanjali Sen & Mitul Surana & Rakesh Basant, 2023. "To What Extent Does the Fertility Rate Explain the Education Gap?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-31, June.
    7. Bloom, D.E. & Luca, D.L., 2016. "The Global Demography of Aging," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 3-56, Elsevier.
    8. Grant Miller & Christine Valente, 2016. "Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception Are Substitutes," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(4), pages 979-1009, August.
    9. Margaret Giorgio & Fredrick Makumbi & Simon Peter Sebina Kibira & Suzanne Bell & Selena Anjur-Dietrich & Elizabeth Sully, 2020. "Investigating the early impact of the Trump Administration’s Global Gag Rule on sexual and reproductive health service delivery in Uganda," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, April.
    10. Erasmus Kersting & Christopher Kilby, 2021. "Do domestic politics shape U.S. influence in the World Bank?," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 29-58, January.
    11. Herrera-Almanza, Catalina & Rosales-Rueda, Maria F., 2020. "Reducing the Cost of Remoteness: Community-Based Health Interventions and Fertility Choices," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    12. Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Clarke, Damian & Mühlrad, Hanna & Fernandez Sierra, Manuel, 2021. "US Presidential Party Switches Are Mirrored in Global Maternal Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 14915, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Samantha R Lattof & Ernestina Coast & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers & Brittany Moore & Cheri Poss, 2020. "The mesoeconomics of abortion: A scoping review and analysis of the economic effects of abortion on health systems," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, November.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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