CPRC Seminar Series with Professor Suzanne Bell
The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022 removed federal protections for the right to abortion, fundamentally changing the abortion landscape in the United States. This seminar will present first-of-its kind evidence on the unequal impact of the Dobbs decision on fertility rates and infant mortality, both across and within states, and by several subgroups. Drawing from vital statistics and US Census Bureau data from 2012 through 2023 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, this study uses a Bayesian panel data model to evaluate state-by-subgroup specific changes in fertility and infant mortality associated with complete or 6-week abortion bans in 14 US states.
Suzanne Bell, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a demographer who studies fertility and related behaviors, examining patterns of contraceptive use, abortion, and infertility, and factors that contribute to disparities in reproductive health outcomes.
