The Supply-Side Economics of Abortion
The TRAP laws, at least in theory, promise to succeed where earlier abortion restrictions did not. Beginning in the 1980s, abortion foes in the states focused on convincing patients not to have an abortion. There are dozens of laws on the books requiring ultrasounds, counseling, and waiting periods before abortion procedures, all designed to convince women that abortion is wrong—or at least, not worth the risk or expense. But after blanketing the country with restrictions designed to deter women from terminating their pregnancies, the abortion rate has barely budged. The shift in strategy—from patient to provider—shows just how ineffectual the woman-centered approach turned out to be. It’s a simple economic formula: If you can’t curb the demand for abortion, cut off the supply.