Difference between revisions of "Views on abortion"
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Revision as of 11:38, March 7, 2015
Public polling, as seen below (sourced from Gallup[1]), reveals that Americans are increasingly calling themselves Pro-Life (50%) and continue to say abortion should be legal only in a few circumstances (59%) such as rape (75%) and life of the mother (83%).
Legal or Illegal
According to Gallup's most recent poll (May 3-6, 2012), 20% of Americans believe abortion should always be illegal, and 39% believe it should be legal only in a few circumstances, a combined 59% that believe it should always or usually be illegal. 25% believe abortion should always be legal, and 13% believe that it should be legal in most circumstances, a combined 38% that believe it should always or usually be legal. 4% hold no opinion. The percentage of Americans which believe abortion should always or usually be illegal has varied from a low of 51% (Sept. 6-7, 1994, and Sept. 22-24, 1995) to a high of 62% (May 2-5, 2005). Gallup has polled the question 33 times since it began asking in 1994.[2]
Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
Currently, 50% of Americans describe themselves as Pro-Life, 41% describe themselves as Pro-Choice, and 4% as Mixed/Neither, as of the most recent poll (May 3-6, 2012). The percentage of Americans describing themselves as Pro-Life has varied from a low of 33% (Sept. 3-6, 1995) to a high of 51% (May 7-10, 2009). Gallup has polled the question 41 times since it began asking in 1995.[1]
By Trimester
Gallup has asked the following question four times from 2003-2011: "Thinking more generally, do you think abortion should generally be legal or generally illegal during each of the following stages of pregnancy. How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?"[1]
1st Trimester
The following results were given for "In the first three months of pregnancy" (1st Trimester):
| Polling Date | Should be legal | Should be illegal | Depends (vol.) | No opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011, June 9-12 | 62% | 35% | 2% | 1% |
| 2003, January 10-12 | 66% | 29% | 3% | 2% |
| 2000, March 30-April 2 | 65% | 31% | 2% | 2% |
| 1996, July 25-26 | 64% | 30% | 4% | 2% |
2nd Trimester
The following results were given for "In the second three months of pregnancy" (2nd Trimester):
| Polling Date | Should be legal | Should be illegal | Depends (vol.) | No opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011, June 9-12 | 24% | 71% | 3% | 2% |
| 2003, January 10-12 | 25% | 68% | 4% | 3% |
| 2000, March 30-April 2 | 24% | 69% | 4% | 3% |
| 1996, July 25-26 | 26% | 65% | 7% | 2% |
3rd Trimester
The following results were given for "In the last three months of pregnancy" (3rd Trimester):
| Polling Date | Should be legal | Should be illegal | Depends (vol.) | No opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011, June 9-12 | 10% | 86% | 2% | 1% |
| 2003, January 10-12 | 10% | 84% | 4% | 2% |
| 2000, March 30-April 2 | 8% | 86% | 3% | 3% |
| 1996, July 25-26 | 13% | 82% | 3% | 2% |
By Circumstances
According to the most recent Gallup poll (June 9-12, 2011), the following percentages of Americans say abortion should be legal under each circumstance:[1]
| Circumstance | Should be legal | Should be illegal | Depends (vol.) | No opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When the woman's life is endangered | 83% | 13% | 1% | 3% |
| When the woman's physical health is endangered | 82% | 15% | 1% | 2% |
| When the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest | 75% | 22% | 1% | 2% |
| When the woman's mental health is endangered | 61% | 35% | 2% | 2% |
| When there is evidence the baby may be mentally impaired | 51% | 46% | 2% | 2% |
| When there is evidence the baby may be physically impaired | 50% | 45% | 2% | 3% |
| When the woman or family cannot afford to raise the child | 36% | 61% | 1% | 2% |
Pro-Life Initiatives
According to Gallup's most recent poll (July 15-17, 2011) these proposals by the Pro-Life movement have received the following public support levels. Those marked "(2005)" were polled most recently on November 11-13, 2005. Those marked "(2003)" were last polled on January 10-12, 2003.[1]
| Proposal | Favor | Oppose | No opinion |
|---|---|---|---|
| (2003) A law requiring doctors to inform patients about alternatives to abortion before performing the procedure | 88% | 11% | 1% |
| A law requiring doctors inform patients about possible risks of abortion before performing the procedure | 87% | 11% | 2% |
| A law requiring women under 18 to get parental consent for any abortion | 71% | 27% | 2% |
| A law requiring women seeking abortions to wait 24 hours before having the procedure done | 69% | 28% | 3% |
| A law making partial birth abortions illegal except for life of the mother | 64% | 31% | 5% |
| (2005) A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion | 64% | 34% | 2% |
| A law requiring women seeking an abortion be shown an ultrasound image of her fetus at least 24 hours before | 50% | 46% | 3% |
| A law letting pharmacists and health providers opt out of medicine/surgical procedures resulting in abortion | 46% | 51% | 4% |
| (2005) A constitutional amendment to ban abortion in all circumstances, except to save the life of the mother | 37% | 61% | 2% |