In 2009, Colorado launched an ambitious initiative that enabled federally-funded Title X clinics to provide a broad array of birth control options for free or at a low cost. A new study, conducted by our research team members Amanda Stevenson, Jane Menken, Stefanie Mollborn, Katie Genadek, and CU Denver affiliate Sara Yeatman, shows the program significantly boosted graduation rates in the state, enabling 3,800 more women to get a diploma. Check out CU Boulder Today’s article “Greater access to birth control boosts high school graduation rates” showcasing their findings, based on their new publication in Science Advances.With help from a five-year, $2.5 million grant from NIH-NICHD, Amanda’s team is now looking to see whether increased access to birth control may influence women’s futures in other, more “human capital” ways. Amanda explains, “When these arguments are based solely on the effect of contraception on fertility, it implies that poor women shouldn’t have children. Our findings suggest that better access to contraception improves women’s lives.” Watch Amanda on Denver-7 News
