This story was originally published by Ipas.

When people can safely get an abortion, it not only improves their own quality of life, but that of their families, communities and even countries.

In a recent collaboration with partners at Rutgers University and London School of Economics, Ipas conducted a global review of research on the impact of abortion access at the individual, community and country levels. Findings show that when abortion access is achieved by making it legal, available and affordable, the trickle-down benefits are vast and far-reaching.

This comprehensive assessment of global research specifically looked at the impact of abortion access and abortion policies on economic outcomes.

“This expansive body of evidence shows the wide variety of factors that compound each other to impact costs, access and stigma for people who need abortion care,” says Brittany Moore, scientific and technical division advisor for Ipas. “We see this work as a valuable resource for advocates and hope it will inspire further research—especially for places where no studies have been done on the impacts of abortion access. While the results of this review were significant, it is clear there is still so much space to do more.”

Read the full story here.