The Department of Economics Applied Microeconomics Seminar Series presents

"Consequences of Withdrawal: Free Condoms and Birth Rates in the Philippines"    
with J.M. Ian Salas, Economics Graduate Student, UCI

Tuesday, December 4, 2012
3:30-5:00 p.m.
SSPB 3266 (Econ Library)

Salas presents new evidence on the role of the supply of subsidized contraceptives in influencing fertility behavior. He draws on two types of disruptions that affected the public supply of contraceptives in the Philippines: a sharp reduction induced by the phase out of contraceptive donations to the country from an external donor and a government policy that shirked public funding to fill the supply shortfall, and substantial fluctuations in the shipment of free contraceptives to the country's provinces brought about by supply chain issues. He finds that birth rates were responsive to both broad and transitory changes in public supply: provinces which experienced big declines in the supply of free contraceptives also had high increases in birth rates, while temporary supply drops (increases) were followed by rising (falling) birth rates. He also identifies poor, less educated, and rural women as the groups which were least successful in fully adjusting to public supply losses and short-term gaps.

For further information, please contact Gloria Simpson, simpsong@uci.edu or 949-824-5788.