A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most adults in the US want abortion to be legal in the early stages of pregnancy, even in states with strict abortion laws.
The poll was conducted in late June, a year after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that had made abortion legal nationwide for almost 50 years. Many Republican-led states have been introducing stricter abortion limits, which has become an important issue for GOP presidential candidates.
Overall, most US adults don’t support complete bans on abortion. People’s opinions on abortion are complex and varied. Most believe that abortion should be allowed in certain situations but not in others. About two-thirds of Americans think abortion should generally be legal, but only a quarter think it should always be legal, and only about 1 in 10 believe it should always be illegal.
When it comes to abortions later in pregnancy, most Americans believe their state should generally not allow them.1 in 10 Americans knows someone who couldn’t get an abortion or had to travel to another place for one since the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned. This is more common among young people, people of color, and those living in states with complete abortion bans.
Almost half of the states now allow abortion up to 20-27 weeks but prohibit it afterward in most cases. 14 states, mostly in the South, have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions.
According to the poll, 73% of US adults, including 58% in states with strict bans, believe abortion should be allowed at six weeks of pregnancy. Around half of Americans think abortion should be allowed at the 15-week mark, but 55% of those in the most restrictive states believe it should be banned by then.
By 24 weeks, about two-thirds of Americans, regardless of their state’s restrictions, believe abortion should be prohibited. Not everyone supports stricter abortion measures. About 4 in 10 people find it too difficult to access abortion in their community, while about a quarter think it’s too easy. This condensed version maintains the main points while simplifying the language for better everyday comprehension.
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