Contraceptives, Unwanted Fertility, and Crime: A Study Across the USA

This paper investigates the impact of coitus-independent contraceptive usage on crime rates in the United States. It explores the premise that the availability of more effective contraception, like the birth control pill, might have a profound societal impact similar to the observed decrease in crime rates following the legalization of abortion in the 1970s. The paper examines the correlation between the rise in the use of coitus-independent contraceptives and the decline in homicide rates, focusing on the period from 1955 to 1976 for contraception data and 1980 to 2003 for crime data. The research employs a fixed-effects model to analyze state-level data on contraception usage and homicide rates. The findings suggest a significant relationship between increased access to coitus-independent contraceptives and a subsequent decrease in homicide rates thirty years later. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for policymakers, emphasizing the potential of contraceptive access in reducing unwanted fertility and, consequently, long-term crime rates.