New National Poll: 53% of Americans Oppose 99% of All Abortions

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 8, 2013   |   4:49PM   |   Washington, DC

The results of a new national poll reveal 53 percent of Americans take one of three positions opposing all or virtually all abortions.

The National Right to Life Committee commissioned a nationwide survey from the Polling Company, a firm that conducted a survey February 28-March 3 with 1,000 respondents and a 3.1% margin of error.

The poll found 47 percent of Americans identify themselves as pro-life while 49 percent say they “pro-choice” on abortions. But when respondents are asked to identify exactly where they stand on abortion, using a list of six different positions, those two labels are shown as not representative of where Americans really stand on abortion.

Most Americans oppose abortion for most reasons, the Polling Company survey found:

Abortion should be prohibited in all circumstances: 11%
Abortion should be legal only to save the life of the mother: 14%
Abortion should be legal only to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest: 28%

Abortion should be legal for any reason but not after the first three months of pregnancy: 20%
Abortion should be legal for any reason but not after the first 6 months of pregnancy:
Abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during a woman’s pregnancy: 12%

The results show 53 percent of Americans take one of three positions opposing abortion except in very rare cases that amount to no more than one percent of all abortions. On the other hand, just 42 percent take one of three pro-abortion positions and only 12 percent agree with President Barack Obama and Planned Parenthood for abortions at any point in pregnancy.

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“This latest Polling Company poll continues to show us what we’ve long known: that a majority of Americans (53%) oppose the vast majority of abortions being performed in the United States today,” NRLC executive director David O’Steen told LifeNews in exclusive comments. “We are also heartened by the fact that 47% self-identified as “pro-life” in the poll. This is a significant uptick since the November 2012 presidential election when President Obama and his pro-abortion allies in the media waged a concerted campaign to vilify pro-life activists and the “pro-life” label.”

“Further, when you combine these 53% who believe abortion should never be legal, legal only to save the life of the mother, or legal only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape and incest with the 20% who believe abortion should only be legal in the first three months of pregnancy, we find a significant number who would favor legislation such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act which would prohibit abortion after the point at which the unborn child is capable of feeling pain,” O’Steen added. “The large body of scientific and medical research indicates that by at least 20 weeks, unborn children are capable of feeling the excruciating pain of abortion.”

“In all, the latest results from The Polling Company give us a good snapshot of how Americans feel about the abortion issue. They are cause for great hope that our efforts to touch hearts, change minds, and save lives will ultimately succeed in protecting mothers and their unborn children,” he concluded.