Access to abortion, investments in neonatal health, and sex-selection: Evidence from Nepal

Christine Valente

Journal of Development Economics, 2014, vol. 107, issue C, 225-243

Abstract: I combine fertility histories from the 2006 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey with a census of newly introduced legal abortion centers to estimate the impact of reducing the cost of abortion on pregnancy outcomes, gender, and neonatal health. Contrary to previous studies, I identify the within-mother, behavioral response to improved access to abortion by comparing siblings conceived before and after the opening of an abortion center nearby. Closeness to a legal abortion center decreases the probability of a birth but has no discernible effect on observable investments in neonatal health and does not lead to more sex-selection.

Keywords: Abortion; Fertility; Neonatal health; Sex-selection; Nepal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Access to Abortion, Investments in Neonatal Health, and Sex-Selection: Evidence from Nepal (2011)
Working Paper: Access to Abortion, Investments in Neonatal Health, and Sex-Selection: Evidence from Nepal (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:deveco:v:107:y:2014:i:c:p:225-243

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2013.12.002

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