| Description |
Abortion is complicated. It is a highly emotional concept which requires multifaceted ethical considerations, as well as practical considerations in order to construct ethical and effective policy. The more attention-grabbing components of the issue are the ethical perspectives. However, economic impacts of restrictions on abortion or lack of access to reproductive healthcare in general are arguably equally important, and yet the field is largely understudied. This research examines the direct and indirect costs of various reproductive choices and offers multiple economic scenarios with regards to reproductive healthcare. I find that, when facing restrictions to abortion, the individual economic stakes are high on the individual level. But in addition to the individual level, issues of the resulting poverty fall into the hands of taxpayers. The data in this research supports the notion that it would be more cost effective for the government to implement adequate substantive resources for young women, in order to avoid unintended pregnancies and unplanned parenthood. This research examines various hypothetical economic scenarios, giving a general conception of each of the costs to be considered in the scope of reproductive health care. The expected outcome is a base for more considerate policy making to prevent unintended pregnancies and thus prevent the need for abortions. |
