Most U.S. Residents Support Abortion Rights With Some Restrictions, Pew Study Says

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 05 Aug 2005 - 20:00 PDT

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About 65% of US residents support the Supreme Court's decision in... Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 decision in which the court struck down state bans on abortion -- but 73% support some restrictions on abortion rights, according to the results of a study released on Wednesday by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the Long Island Newsday reports (Eisenberg, Long Island Newsday, 8/4). According to the study, which was based on the responses to a July 13-17 survey of 1,502 U.S. adults and a July 7-17 survey of 2,000 adults, 35% of respondents believe abortion should be "generally available"; 23% support stricter limits on the procedure; 31% say it should be illegal except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the pregnant woman; and 9% think it should be illegal in all circumstances, according to Pew release (Pew release, 8/3). The polls, which were conducted before President Bush nominated Judge John Roberts for a seat on the Supreme Court, also found that 63% of respondents believe Supreme Court decisions on abortion-related cases are very important (Lane, Washington Post, 8/4). Among self-described liberal Democrats, the issue of abortion rights is the most important issue facing the Supreme Court, according to the study.

Other Study Findings
The study also indicated a growing support for human embryonic stem cell research among all major religious groups except white evangelical Protestants, the Long Island Newsday reports. About 32% of white evangelical Protestants support the research, compared with 61% of white Catholics, 70% of mainline Protestants and 77% of nonreligious people. In addition, respondents were divided on whether emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse -- should be available without a doctor's prescription, with 52% supporting it and 37% opposing it (Long Island Newsday, 8/4). The surveys also examined respondent's views on the morality of abortion, parental consent for abortions and sex education in schools (Pew release, 8/3).

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