This paper develops a model for estimating the costs associated with the institutional and legal restrictions related to the states' abortion statutes. A travel-cost demand model is estimated with data for legal abortions obtained in New York State. The purpose is to determine the value--for women seeking abortions--of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling which liberalized abortion codes. The estimated benefits foregone in the absence of liberalization, over a 10-year period with a 10 percent discount rate, range from 12 million to 30 million in present value. It is important to note that this study makes no attempt to measure the losses to certain groups in society as a result of the liberalization.

This paper develops a model for estimating the costs associated with the institutional and legal restrictions related to the states' abortion statutes. A travel-cost demand model is estimated with data for legal abortions obtained in New York State. The purpose is to determine the value--for women seeking abortions--of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling which liberalized abortion codes. The estimated benefits foregone in the absence of liberalization, over a 10-year period with a 10 percent discount rate, range from 12 million to 30 million in present value. It is important to note that this study makes no attempt to measure the losses to certain groups in society as a result of the liberalization.