Ohsfeldt, Robert L (Apr 1994)said that an assessment is made of the impact of parental involvement laws on adolescent abortion rates

and pregnancy rates. The analysis estimates abortion rate and pregnancy rate models using state-level data pooled over time for adolescents aged 15-17 compared to older teens aged 18-19 and adults aged 20-44. Parental involvement laws appear to reduce adolescent abortion rates relative to the abortion rate for older teens or adults not subject to the law. "Best model" estimates imply that such laws reduce the adolescent abortion rate by about 18%, other things constant. A smaller (8%) reduction in the adolescent pregnancy rate is estimated to result from parental involvement laws. Given adolescents' poor knowledge of and frequent failure to use primary contraception, the estimated pregnancy rate effect is plausible, though somewhat larger than expected. Overall, parental involvement laws appear to increase adolescent fertility by about 10%. Given that few adolescent pregnancies are intended, the laws increase unintended fertility among adolescents. The descriptive research design specifically the survey method was therefore utilized.