For every $1 spent, South Carolina’s “No Drama” program returns up to $66 in economic benefits

New Economic Impact Report Confirms Contraceptive Access is a High-Value Workforce and Fiscal Strategy, Generating Hundreds of Millions in Annual Net Benefit

A new economic impact report authored by lead economists at the South Carolina Economic Policy Center, part of the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, reveals that South Carolina’s “No Drama” initiative, a public-private partnership, is a powerful engine for economic growth and workforce development, generating between $22 and $66 in economic benefits for every dollar invested. The report finds the program is strengthening the state’s workforce, increasing educational attainment, and generating an annual net benefit estimated between $140 million and $430 million.

“This report provides definitive proof that investing in family planning and economic stability is one of the single best investments South Carolina can make,” said New Morning President and CEO Bonnie Kapp. “When women have the power to plan their own path, they stay in school, advance in their careers, and build a stronger, more prosperous state for all of us. This is a pro-business, pro-family, fiscally conservative solution that works.”

Immediate Workforce & Education Gains

The analysis shows a direct link between preventing unintended pregnancies and a stronger, more skilled workforce.

• Labor Force Stability: The program contributed to 11,500 to 12,300 additional women remaining employed (instead of leaving the labor force early for childrearing) between 2017 and 2024.
• Reduced Poverty: An estimated 10,600 to 11,000 fewer women fell into poverty since the program’s inception.
• Educational Attainment: The program is estimated to have contributed to 1,000–1,900 additional associate’s degrees and 150–500 additional bachelor’s degrees earned by women in their twenties.
• Higher Earning Power: Access to contraception is linked to a $1,375–$4,125 in extra annual earnings per woman who avoided an unplanned birth.

A Generational Investment in State Fiscal Health
The benefits extend to the next generation of South Carolina workers, boosting future economic prosperity.

• Future Degrees: Statewide projections suggest the program will yield roughly 3,300 additional high school graduates, 14,850 new associate’s degrees, and 2,750 new bachelor’s degrees among the next generation.
• Higher Future Wages: Children of mothers who avoided an unintended pregnancy can expect 10–20% higher earnings as adults than their peers.
• Taxpayer Gains: Women who avoided unintended pregnancies collectively earned about $27.5 million in additional wages annually, generating roughly $1.65 million in extra state income tax revenue each year.

The program achieved these results in 2024 with a modest total program cost of about $480 per unplanned pregnancy prevented, while the economic benefits per averted birth are many times larger.

About New Morning

Based in Columbia, S.C., New Morning is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to transforming healthcare to ensure all South Carolinians have access to high-quality reproductive health services. New Morning leads one of the largest and most successful contraceptive access programs in the United States. Through its “No Drama” consumer campaign and a network of 100+ partner clinics, the organization provides reproductive health education and free or low-cost birth control to low-income, uninsured women. Since 2017, the program has served more than 600,000 women, helped reduce the state’s unintended pregnancy rate from 50% to 37%, and generated an estimated $1 billion in taxpayer savings. Learn more at newmorning.org.