Ladies's Views on Abortion Entry and Coverage within the Dobbs Period: Insights from the KFF Well being Monitoring Ballot
Nearly two years after the Dobbs v. Jackson Ladies's Well being Group Supreme Courtroom ruling overturned Roe v. WadeEradicating federal constitutional protections for abortion, abortion is banned in fourteen states and restricted by being pregnant limits in eleven others. The most recent KFF ballot exhibits that ladies in states the place abortion is banned usually tend to report private connections with individuals who have had issue accessing abortion providers because the legislation was overturned. Roo. Current analysis has documented that many ladies dwelling in states that ban abortion have traveled to different states to acquire abortions. This may be pricey and require them to take day off work, discover youngster care, and in some instances make a number of visits to acquire abortion providers. There have additionally been stories of girls being denied abortions regardless that they meet state requirements for exemptions. Earlier reporting from the KFF Well being Monitoring Ballot examines girls's views on abortion coverage, together with by partisanship, which is among the strongest predictors of those views. This evaluation examines girls's views by geography, particularly whether or not they reside in a state the place abortion is at the moment banned, restricted, or authorized.
One in seven girls in states with abortion bans say they or somebody they know has had issue accessing an abortion
Eight p.c of girls total, rising to 1 in seven (14%) girls of childbearing age (between 18 and 49 years), say that they or somebody they know has had issue accessing an abortion as a result of restrictions of their state since Roo was overthrown. Ladies dwelling in states the place abortion is banned are twice as more likely to report figuring out somebody who has issue accessing abortion than girls dwelling in states the place abortion is restricted or authorized. One in seven (14%) girls dwelling in states that ban abortion say they or somebody they know has had issue accessing abortion due to their state's restrictions on abortions, together with one in 5 ( 21%) girls aged 18 to 49 years. in these states. Fewer girls in states the place abortion is restricted by gestational age (6%) or in states the place abortion is authorized after 22 weeks of being pregnant (7%) say they or somebody they know has skilled such issues.
A majority of girls dwelling in states that ban abortion need abortion to be authorized and help legal guidelines that defend entry to abortion
Though there are some small variations within the stage of help for abortion restrictions between girls dwelling in states that ban abortion and girls dwelling in different states, a majority of girls in all states—together with those who ban abortions—consider that abortion must be authorized in all states. normally and help a spread of insurance policies that defend entry to abortion.
No matter whether or not abortion is banned, restricted or authorized of their state, a majority of girls consider abortion must be authorized in all or most instances, together with two-thirds (67%) of girls in states the place abortion is banned and 7 within the ten girls. (71%) in states the place abortion is restricted by being pregnant limits. A bigger majority (81%) of girls in states the place abortion is at the moment authorized say abortion must be authorized in all or most instances. One in 4 girls in states the place abortion is banned say abortion must be unlawful “normally,” as do one in 5 girls in states the place abortion is restricted by being pregnant limits (19%) and girls in states the place abortion is prohibited. authorized (17%). A small share of girls, no matter their state's legal guidelines, say abortion must be unlawful “in all instances” (8% of girls reside in states the place abortion is banned, 10% in states with restricted entry to abortion, 2% in states with authorized entry to abortion) abortions attainable).
A majority of girls, whatever the abortion legal guidelines of their state, help legal guidelines similar to defending entry to abortion for girls experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies similar to miscarriages, defending the proper to journey to acquire an abortion, and guaranteeing a federal proper to abortion.
No matter the kind of abortion restrictions of their nation, fewer than half of girls help legal guidelines that prohibit or criminalize entry to abortion, though there are some variations within the stage of help for various insurance policies. Amongst girls dwelling in states that ban abortion, slightly below half help enacting a federal ban on 16-week abortions (45%), and 4 in 10 help banning clinics that obtain federal funding from offering abortions or refer sufferers to abortion suppliers (40). %) or make it a criminal offense for healthcare suppliers to ship abortion capsules to states with abortion bans (38%). A 3rd help a nationwide ban on mifepristone, the abortion drug (33%).
Fewer girls in states the place abortion is authorized help instituting a federal ban on abortion after 16 weeks (33% vs. 45% amongst girls in states the place abortion is banned), seemingly reflecting underlying political variations amongst girls dwelling in this type of states reside. In actual fact, 4 in ten (38%) girls dwelling in states the place abortion is banned or restricted are Republican or lean, in comparison with about three in ten (28%) girls dwelling in states the place abortion is authorized. The largest predictor of help for these insurance policies is political partisanship, even amongst girls. For additional exploration of those partisanship variations, see earlier protection of this examine.
The difficulty of abortion entry will seemingly come up in a number of types through the November 2024 elections. Various states are transferring ahead with poll initiatives to guard abortion rights on the state stage. Moreover, KFF polls present that one in eight voters (12%) say abortion is an important subject on their poll. This consists largely of adults who consider abortion must be authorized and help defending entry to abortion. Notably, one in 5 girls of childbearing age in states the place abortion is banned say that they or somebody they personally know has had issue acquiring an abortion. Assist for abortion protections, together with a federal assure of abortion rights, is powerful amongst girls no matter the place they reside. Whereas substantial minorities of girls in states with abortion bans help some restrictions on abortion entry, two-thirds of girls dwelling in these states consider abortion must be authorized in all or most instances, indicating {that a} discrepancy exists between what girls in these states help and the insurance policies their state legislatures have enacted.