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On Dec. 1, 2021, the Supreme Court  in a ruling that overturns Roe v. Wade.

But reproductive health isn鈥檛 , despite all the attention the procedures get. It鈥檚 also about access to family planning services, contraception, sex education and much else鈥攁ll of which  in recent years.

 and size of their families so they have children when they are financially secure and emotionally ready and can finish their education and advance in the workplace. After all, ,  a year for a middle-class family. For low-income working families,  can eat up over a third of earnings.

And that鈥檚 why providing Americans with a full range of reproductive health options is good for the economy and simultaneously essential to the financial security of women and their families. As , I believe doing the opposite threatens not only the physical health of women but their economic well-being too.

The Economics of Contraception

A  as much in 1992, stating in its Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey decision:

鈥淭he ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives.鈥�

But in recent years, the right to control their reproductive health has become  for many women, particularly the poor. Given their focus on limiting access to abortion, you might assume that conservative politicians would support policies that help women avoid unintended pregnancies. But conservative attacks on birth control are escalating, even though  of reproductive age have used , such as an IUD, patch, or pill, at least once.

In addition to its widely recognized health and autonomy benefits for women, contraception . In fact, research shows access to the pill  for one-third of women鈥檚 wage gains since the 1960s. And this benefit . Children born to mothers with access to family planning  in their own incomes over their lifetimes, as well as boosting college completion rates.

Not surprisingly, in a 2016 survey,  on their lives, including 62% reporting that it reduces stress and 56% saying it helps them to keep working.

Disparities in Access

Still, there is a class divide in contraception access, as evidenced by disparities in the 2011 rate of unintended pregnancies鈥攖he latest data available. While the  fell to 45% that year from 51% in 2008, the figure for women living at or below the poverty line, although also decreasing, was  at the highest income level.

One reason for this disparity is the , particularly for the most effective, longest-lasting forms. For instance,  over $1,000 for an IUD and the procedure to insert it, amounting to about  for a minimum-wage worker lacking insurance coverage.

These costs are significant, given that the  about two children and will thus need contraception for at least three decades of her life. Unfortunately,  meets only 54% of the need, and these funding streams are under constant .

Not surprisingly, , and women with coverage are much more likely to use contraceptive care. And yet about 6.2 million women . Further, this coverage can be denied to millions of employees and their dependents who work for employers claiming a religious or moral objection .

Sex Education and the Economic Ladder

Another key to reproductive health鈥攁nd one that isn鈥檛 discussed enough鈥攊s sexual education for teenagers.

For years, the public has spent up to $110 million a year on abstinence-only programs, which not only  but also reinforce gender stereotypes and are rife with misinformation. Low-income minority teens to these programs. Teens without knowledge about their sexual health  to get pregnant and less likely to work, spiraling them to the bottom of the economic ladder.

Access to Abortion

Then there鈥檚 the issue of abortion. Let鈥檚 start with the cost.

 pay more than one-third of their monthly income for the procedure. The longer a woman must wait鈥攅ither because state law requires it or she needs to save up the money, or both鈥攃osts rise significantly. Studies show that women  are  to fall into poverty than women who obtained abortions.

In addition to the financial burden,  designed to limit abortion access. These laws hit low-income women particularly hard. Since Roe was decided, states have enacted 1,320 restrictions on abortion, including waiting periods, mandatory counseling sessions, and onerous restrictions on clinics. In 2021 alone, .

Hyde and Health

Another way in which U.S. policy on abortions , is through the ban on federal funding. It has been so since the , which prevents federal Medicaid funds from being used for abortions except in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is at risk.

Denying poor women coverage for abortion under Medicaid contributes to the unintended birth rates that are  for poor women as for high-income women.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court, poor women would be affected the most. Women who are denied abortions , be unemployed, and turn to public assistance.

By contrast, economists have established that the  led to improved educational, employment, and earnings outcomes for women, as well as for their children.

Politicians cannot promise to grow the economy and simultaneously limit access to abortion, birth control, and sexual education. America鈥檚 economic health and women鈥檚 reproductive health are linked.

This is an updated version of an on April 27, 2016.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the . It has been lightly edited for 大象传媒 Media.