Legal abortion and lifelong health

This study examines the long-term health benefits of early-life exposure to legal abortion. The findings show that access to legal abortion reduces cumulative mortality and disability in adulthood, indicating benefits that extend well beyond immediate maternal and infant health improvements. Specifically, exposure to legal abortion in utero leads to a reduction in cumulative mortality and disability in adulthood, suggesting benefits that go beyond short-term improvements in infant health. These results highlight the broader societal and policy importance of reproductive healthcare access, emphasizing that restrictions on legal abortion may have far-reaching negative impacts on long-term population health.