Impact of Emergency Contraception Distribution on Female University Enrollment in Chile
Title: Impact of Emergency Contraception Distribution on Female University Enrollment in Chile
Abstract: This paper examines the influence of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) availability on the higher education enrollment of female high school graduates in Chile, using a natural experiment provided by the variable distribution of ECP between 2012 and 2016. We construct two geographical measures of ECP access utilizing Chilean administrative data. Our analysis employs a generalized difference-in-differences approach to account for the non-uniform implementation and withdrawal of ECP distribution across municipalities, as well as an event study methodology approach to understand dynamic effects of the policy. Our findings indicate an increase in university enrollment among recent female high school graduates with improved access to ECP, approximately elevating enrollment by one percentage point, which represents a 20% closure of the gender enrollment gap during the studied period. The paper contributes to the literature by demonstrating how health policy interventions can have significant effects on educational attainment and gender equity in access to higher education.