Most think that there is sufficient access to contraception and abortion even after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision that allowed many states to restrict abortion, according to polling.
An Associated Press-NORC poll found that 54% of respondents said the ease of access to contraception was “about right” in their respective local communities, while 14% of respondents said it was “too easy” to obtain contraception.
2024 HOPEFULS DEFEND KIM REYNOLDS AFTER TRUMP ATTACK
Strengthening access to contraceptives since the overturning of Roe has been a key objective for many Democrats.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on June 23 directing various agencies and administrations across the executive branch to pursue measures to expand access to contraceptives through government-funded health services. This order came one day before the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision.
Various states have also moved to increase access to hormonal birth control without a clinician’s prescription, granting pharmacists the ability to provide contraception directly to patients. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) made her state the 20th in the country to allow for over-the-counter hormonal contraception to counter what she called the “extremist” position of restricting access.
The public is also content with access to abortion. Only 39% said abortion was “too difficult” to obtain, compared to the 32% who said it was sufficiently easy and the 24% who said it was too accessible.
Those in states with greater restrictions on abortion were more likely, at 44%, to say that abortions are too difficult to obtain, regardless of party affiliation.
Although the majority — 63% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans — know someone who has had an abortion, only 14% know someone who either could not get an abortion or had to travel to obtain one since the overturning of Roe.
Abortion limitations remain a hotly contested issue both in electoral politics and in the judiciary as courts review pending litigation.
On Aug. 1, after an intense legal battle, Indiana will become the 15th state to be enforcing a near-total abortion ban, blocking the procedure except in the case of rape and incest.
Last month, the Supreme Court of Iowa blocked Gov. Kim Reynolds‘s attempt to revive a six-week abortion ban, but the legislature passed another six-week abortion ban on Tuesday night after Reynolds called a special session to achieve the objective.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The polling results indicate that 51% of the public, including only 29% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats, think abortion should be legal at 15 weeks into pregnancy. Only 27% support legalized abortion at 24 weeks or older.
A total of 79% of Democrats and 29% of Republicans think a woman should be able to abort her child for any reason.
