How do laws restricting reproductive health services affect sexually transmitted disease among minors?

This project will evaluate the impact of two types of laws regulating access to reproductive health services for minors: (1) laws requiring parental involvement (PI) in minors' decision to obtain an abortion, and (2) laws regulating access to over-the-counter emergency contraception (EC) on the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among minors. More specifically, the project will test for an association between PI laws and state policies regarding OTC access to EC and the rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea in women aged 15 to 19 and 20 to24. Deliverables for this project include a detailed impact report aimed at researchers and other technical audiences, as well as a National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) working paper and a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The project will also produce a short, nontechnical research brief with attractive visuals. This research brief will be posted on the main Mathematica web page with a link to the full report and will be sent to the directors of all state STD programs. STD directors in Florida, California and New York.