2024/01/25 by Sarah Elvins, Katherine Parkin · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Medicine · Social Sciences · #Abortion #Business #Canadian Identity and History #Consumption (sociology) #Economics #Economy #Family medicine #Geography #Goods and services #Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes #Market access #Medicine #Pregnancy #Referral #Reproductive Health and Contraception #Sociology #State (computer science)
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/eso.2023.61
published in Enterprise & Society 26(1), 197-217 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2024/01/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
This article explores the growth of abortion-related businesses in New York State that emerged to encourage Canadian women to travel across the border to access care. Referral agencies and clinics advertised their services, publicized their fees, and competed with each other. Canadian women living near the border were used to crossing to access goods and services not available in their home market. Their practice of traveling to New York for abortions was shaped by their experiences as consumers. The media used the language of commerce to explain this phenomenon, describing those involved in referral agencies as entrepreneurs and businessmen, highlighting the profits being made and evaluating the services being offered.