Late last month, Townhall described how many states passed landmark life-sustaining measures in the wake of the Supreme Court’s demise Roe v. Wade. These included legislation banning first-trimester abortion and prohibiting the “abortion trade” of minors. More states, such as Iowa and Indiana, are expected to introduce more pro-life laws soon.
A new Associated Press-NORC poll released this week shows that a majority of Americans (56 percent) think abortion is “too easy” or “right” when it comes to how straightforward it is to get an abortion following an abortion. Dobbs. Additionally, most respondents said the ease of obtaining contraception was “too easy” or “about right” (68 percent).
According to the latest AP-NORC poll, a huge number of Americans still support legalizing abortion.
Overall, 73% of women support abortion in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy, 51% in the first 15 weeks, and 27% in the first 24 weeks.
When is it… pic.twitter.com/nr1kj6E2UC
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) July 13, 2023
Overall, 59 percent of Democrats believe it is “too easy” or “about right” to say how straightforward it is to access birth control and family planning, while 43 percent said this about abortion. Eighty percent of Republicans said access to birth control and family planning was “too easy” or “about right,” while 73 percent said the same about abortion.
In a poll, a majority of Americans expressed opposition to late-term abortions in the third trimester (via Related press):
Opinions are more divided on the time frame in which abortion should be allowed. 73% of respondents believe it should be allowed in the first 6 weeks, but this drops to 51% by 15 weeks. Most people living in states where abortion is highly restricted say it should be legal for at least six weeks, even though they generally favor tighter access to abortion than adults generally.
[…]
And while most people believe their state should allow legal abortion at 6 weeks of pregnancy, opinions are more divided after that. About half of adults believe states should allow legal abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy, while just 27% say the same at 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Fifty-eight percent of women in states with the most restrictive abortion laws say abortion should be allowed after the sixth week of pregnancy, as do more than 7 in 10 people in the rest of the country. After 15 weeks, 59% of people living in the least restrictive states say it should be legal, compared with about 4 in 10 people in more restrictive states. Only 31% of people living in states where abortion is widely available say the procedure should be legal after the 24th week of pregnancy, as do one in four people in states where there are at least some restrictions.
Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, a global network of pro-life pregnancy centers, told Townhall in an interview to mark the anniversary Dobbs that “every woman should be loved and supported during pregnancy” and that women do not have the “desire” for an abortion, as abortion advocates believe.
“I think that part of our nation is moving in the right direction and we are showing… that yes, you can protect women and help the birth of children, but you also have to do something on the other side, and this is where we see the states of “life” moving as well. “I called on Texas and Missouri… who then dedicate resources to help women have children and really address the issues that may push them to have abortions,” he said. “It’s kind of a lot of factors that have to happen.”
The AP highlighted which states have banned abortion altogether or placed significant restrictions on the procedure:
The states where most abortions are illegal at all stages of pregnancy, with few exceptions, are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Abortion is illegal after approximately six to 20 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.
States where abortion is legal until at least 22 weeks include Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana , Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
“Americans today are much more knowledgeable about prenatal development than they were in 1973, when Roe was passed. “Recent generations have grown up observing pregnant babies through 2D, 3D and 4D ultrasound images,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser told The Hill this week.
“When asked about their specific views – in terms of weeks or trimesters – Americans consistently express a desire to protect the unborn child for most of the nine months of pregnancy,” she added. “Americans are reasonable and compassionate and overwhelmingly want pro-life protections for both mother and child.”
