Expanded Contraceptive Access Linked To Increase In College Completion Among Women In Colorado. Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Public subsidies for contraception are often justified by assertions regarding their benefits for women's lives, yet there is limited contemporary evidence supporting these assertions. Beginning in 2009 the Colorado Family Planning Initiative abruptly expanded access to the full range of contraceptive methods through Colorado's Title X family planning clinics. Using eleven years of American Community Survey data linked to data from two decennial censuses, we assessed whether exposure to the program led to improvements in college completion among women. Exposure to the Colorado Family Planning Initiative at high school ages was associated with a population-level increase of 1.8-3.5 percentage points in women's on-time bachelor's degree attainment, which represents a 6-12 percent increase in women obtaining their degrees compared with earlier cohorts. Federal and state policies restricting or expanding access to the full range of contraceptive methods can affect women's attainment of higher education in addition to their reproductive health.

publication date

  • December 1, 2022

has restriction

  • green

Date in CU Experts

  • January 31, 2023 12:42 PM

Full Author List

  • Yeatman S; Flynn JM; Stevenson A; Genadek K; Mollborn S; Menken J

author count

  • 6

Other Profiles

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2694-233X

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 1754

end page

  • 1762

volume

  • 41

issue

  • 12