We have found that this rather sudden increase in the availability of both abortion and contraception we call it a reproductive technology shock is deeply implicated in the increase in out-of-wedlock births. In July 1970 the Massachusetts law prohibiting the distribution of contraceptives to unmarried people was declared unconstitutional. At about the same time it became easier for unmarried people to obtain contraceptives. Wade in January 1973) many major states, including New York and California, liberalized their abortion laws. In the late 1960s and very early 1970s (well before Roe v. In recent work we have been able to provide both. But so far social scientists have been unable to provide a convincing explanation of exactly how that change came about or to estimate in any convincing way its quantitative impact. Yet another popular explanation is that single parenthood has increased since the late 1960s because of the change in attitudes toward sexual behavior. Wood has estimated that only 3-4 percent of the decline in black marriage rates can be explained by the shrinking of the pool of eligible black men. Mare and Christopher Winship have estimated that at most 20 percent of the decline in marriage rates of blacks between 19 can be explained by decreasing employment. In a 1987 study, Wilson attributed the increase in out-of-wedlock births to a decline in the marriageability of black men due to a shortage of jobs for less educated men. Liberals have tended to favor the explanation offered by William Julius Wilson. A study by Robert Moffitt in 1992 also found that welfare benefits can account for only a small fraction of the rise in the out-of-wedlock birth ratio.
But as David Ellwood and Lawrence Summers have shown, welfare benefits could not have played a major role in the rise of out-of-wedlock births because benefits rose sharply in the 1960s and then fell in the 1970s and 1980s, when out-of-wedlock births rose most.
One argument that appeals to conservatives is that of Charles Murray, who attributes the increase to overly generous federal welfare benefits. Searching for an ExplanationĮfforts by social scientists to explain the rise in out-of-wedlock births have so far been unconvincing, though several theories have a wide popular following. The policy implications of the increase in out-of-wedlock births are staggering. If we have learned any policy lesson well over the past 25 years, it is that for children living in single-parent homes, the odds of living in poverty are great. Every year about one million more children are born into fatherless families. By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites. In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. Since 1970, out-of-wedlock birth rates have soared. Ideally, the workforce in hospitals would reflect the local population in order to create well-balanced teams that might reduce gaps in communication and cultural understanding, said William Sappenfield, a University of South Florida professor who focuses on maternal and child health, epidemiology, and public health practice.United States Secretary of the Treasury - United States Department of the Treasuryįormer Distinguished Fellow in Residence - Economic Studies “The first thing we have to do is admit that,” Hill said.ĭeveloping protocols, guidelines and standards - and insisting they are followed throughout care - may mitigate some disparities, he said.īut, more simply, making sure each patient feels welcome and comfortable at all steps of care - from the greeting at the front door to messaging from hospital administration - will help build trust and allow Black women to feel comfortable with communication, Hill said. He notes that physicians often don’t realize they are acting on implicit bias, which are attitudes and stereotypes that unconsciously affect one’s decision-making. Washington Hill, a Sarasota-based maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Some women feel discriminated against and, as a result, don’t seek care, she said. “This is a social issue rather than a medical issue,” said Brown-Williams, who works directly with families during and after pregnancy. Yet “the thread that holds everything together is racism.” The barriers to equity in infant and maternal care vary, said Kimberly Brown-Williams, the program director for Healthy Start at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St.
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