This paper explores the possibility that variation in state abortion availability, as proxied by legislation pertaining to women’s reproductive rights across the United States may generate variation in the use of birth control pills. Without the option of terminating a pregnancy, one expects that oral contraceptives would be more widely utilized. We find restrictions on abortion availability (through abortion legislation mandating parental consent or notification) induce women to utilize birth control to avoid unwanted pregnancies, while pro-choice sentiments in the legislature may have the opposite effect. Interestingly, our findings have broader implications for social scientists’ understanding of individual decision-making and how forward thinking individuals are when making decisions. In many instances, public policy aims to incentivize individuals to make decisions or adopt behaviors with longer term health consequences (prenatal care, smoking cessation, weight loss programs). As such, this is particularly relevant in the context of public health policymaking.