Abortion access has been a highly contested topic throughout history in the United States. In 1973, the Supreme Court guaranteed the right to access to abortion nationally in Roe v. Wade, as a “penumbra right tied to other liberty rights,” and interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment as guaranteeing this right (Lowe, 2022). After Roe, Casey v. Planned Parenthood introduced the “undue burden” standard which ensured that a state could not implement regulations that place “a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion” (“Abortion: U.S. Supreme Court Decisions,” 2018). Following Roe, more women were able to access abortions and thus enter the labor force, allowing more low-income women and their families to prosper economically (Lowe, 2022). However, on June 24, 2022, the protections provided in Roe were removed in the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Abortion is not only an issue of civil rights, but an issue with the potential for large-scale economic impact. This paper explored the research question “What is the economic impact on individuals when reproductive rights are restricted in the United States, and how is this impact felt by particular groups of people or women?” We analyze the economic impact, and specifically, the disproportionate economic impact that restrictions on abortion have on certain demographic groups, including women of color, younger women and teenagers, and low-income women. Through our review of pertinent literature, we discuss the changing attitudes over time related to issues of bodily autonomy and how politics and religion have played a key role, as well as how this has influenced legislation around abortion throughout U.S. history, and the role this legislation plays in influencing several economic indicators. The methodology for our research involved a mixed methods approach, “a purposeful mix-ing of methods in data collection, data analysis and interpretation of the evidence” (Shorten and Smith, 2017). We employed various modes of research, using triangulation, “the use of more than one approach to researching a question” which is beneficial, as it “provides a more comprehensive picture of the results than [any] approach could do alone” (Heale and Forbes, 2013). By conducting a regression to measure the “motherhood wage gap,” reviewing data from the Turnaway Study and an Amicus brief, and reviewing surveys conducted on public sentiment around the economic impact of abortion access, we were able to conclude that when policy restricts or bans access to abortion, women seeking the procedure and their families experience a negative economic impact. Even though our study was limited, we concluded that there is a long road ahead to restore abortion rights, although it is not impossible. With persistent pressure and advocacy, protections around abortion access can be restored, providing economic benefits to women and families across the United States
