Abortion in the Polls

More Americans consider themselves prolife (1)

According to a Gallup poll from May 2010, more Americans consider themselves to be "pro-life" than "pro-choice." This confirmed a Gallup poll from May 2009 showing for the first time since their polling began in 1995 that a majority of Americans describe themselves as prolife. These recent polls led Gallup to say being prolife is "the new normal on abortion."

With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?

Pro-life: 47%
Pro-choice: 45%

Americans do not support abortion-on-demand (2)

Americans reject the effects of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton of legalizing abortion for all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. Only 22 percent of Americans support the current legal status of abortion.

Do you think abortion should be legal under any circumstance, legal under only certain circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?

Legal under any circumstances: 22%
Legal under most circumstances: 15%
Legal only in a few circumstances: 37%
Illegal in all circumstances: 23%

Both men and women are prolife (2)

Contrary to the false idea that abortion protects women's rights, both men and women consider themselves more prolife. Men are slightly more prolife than women, but both agree that all men and women - born and unborn - deserve an equal right to life.

"With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?"

Pro-life men: 54%
Pro-choice men: 39%

Pro-life women: 49%
Pro-choice women: 44%

Young people are prolife (3)

Support for abortion is strongest among middle-aged people who were born before or soon after Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Prolife beliefs are highest among seniors and young people, with a close majority of those 18-29 saying abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

Illegal in all or most cases:
18-29: 48%
30-49: 41%
50-64: 41%
65+: 48%

Legal in all or most cases:
18-29: 47%
30-49: 50%
50-64: 47%
65+: 36%

Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortions (4)

A strong majority of Americans oppose the use of their taxpayers dollars to fund abortions.

Allow federal funds to pay for abortions?
Yes: 37%
No: 61%

A majority think abortion is morally wrong (5)

Is abortion morally acceptable or morally wrong?
Acceptable: 40%
Wrong: 51%

Americans support greater regulations on obtaining abortions (6)

Three-times more Americans believe that access to abortion is too easy rather than too hard. Only 15% believe that there are too many barriers for mothers seeking to abort their child.

Getting an abortion in America is:

Too easy: 48%

Too hard: 15%

Just right : 23%

Americans would ban more than 90% of abortions (7)

A majority of Americans, given their stated views, would ban more than 90% of abortions tomorrow if Roe v. Wade were overturned and they were allowed to vote.

When asked about their primary reason for seeking an abortion, less than 1% of women said it was because of rape, less that 1% due to incest, 4% listed their health and 3% said the health of their child. (8) Interestingly, the poll indicates Americans don't understand the vast majority of abortions are performed for social and economic reasons, not the so-called "hard cases." The poll shows 57% support keeping abortion legal in all or most cases, yet 57% also say abortions should be illegal if the reason is to end an "unwanted pregnancy." This means prolifers have a great opportunity to inform people that the current law does not reflect their views on the issue.

While Right to Life of Michigan believes that abortion is not the answer to a pregnancy which is the result of sexual assault, a recognition of current popular opinion would bring a welcome end to more than one million abortions every year.

Abortion should be legal or illegal in the following cases:
All or Most Cases - Legal: 57%  Illegal: 42%
To Save Woman's Life - Legal: 88%   Illegal: 10%
To Save Woman's Health - Legal 82%   Illegal: 14%
In Cases of Rape/Incest - Legal 81%   Illegal: 17%
Physically Impaired Baby - Legal 54%  Illegal: 40%
To End Unwanted Pregnancy - Legal: 42%   Illegal: 57%
D&X/Partial-Birth Abortions - Legal: 23%  Illegal: 69%
Pregnancy is 6 Months or More - Legal: 11%   Illegal: 86%

 

Citations

1 - Gallup poll of 1,029 adults conducted May 3-6, 2010. www.gallup.com
2 - Gallup poll of 1,015 adults conducted May 7-10, 2009. www.gallup.com
3 - Pew Research Center poll of 3,013 adults conducted March 31-April 21, 2009. people-press.org
4 - CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll of 1,014 adults conducted Nov. 13-15, 2009. www.cnn.com
5 - Gallup poll of 1,003 adults conducted May 10-13, 2007. www.gallup.com

6 - Rasmussen Reports poll of 1,000 likely voters conducted August 11-12, 2010. www.rasmussenreports.com
7 - ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll of 1,114 adults conducted Jan. 16-20, 2003. abcnews.go.com
8 - Finer, L. et al (2005). Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37(3).