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Societal attitudes towards abortion

Societal attitudes towards abortion have varied throughout different historical periods and cultures. One manner of assessing such attitudes in the modern era has been to conduct opinion polls to measure levels of public opinion on abortion.

Attitudes by region

Africa

  • South Africa: A 2003 Human Sciences Research Council study examined moral attitudes among South Africans: 56% said they believed that abortion is wrong even if there is a strong chance of serious defect in the fetus, while 70% said they believed that abortion is wrong if done primarily because the parents have low income and may be unable to afford another child.[1]

Europe

October 2020 Polish protests were caused by severe changes to abortion laws.
  • Austria: A May 2007 OGM survey examined Austrian opinion on the morality of abortion, asking, "Personally, do you think of abortion as a moral issue?" 20% of those polled replied, "yes, always", 59% replied "yes, under certain circumstances", 19% replied "no, never", and 2% replied that they were "not sure".[2]
  • Czech Republic: A May 2007 CVVM poll found that 72% believe abortion in the Czech Republic should be allowed "at the request of the woman", 19% that it should be allowed for "societal reasons", 5% that it should be allowed only if "a woman's health is at risk", 1% that it should be "banned".[3]
  • Republic of Ireland: A January 2010 Irish Examiner/RedC poll about abortion in Ireland found that 60% of 18- to 35-year-olds felt abortion should be legalised, and 10% had been in a relationship in which an abortion had taken place.[4] A January 2010 opinion poll conducted by Millward Brown Landsdowne for the Pro Life Campaign found 70% of people questioned favored constitutional protection for the unborn under circumstances where intervention to save the mother's life was legal.[5] A January 2013 Paddy Power/Red C poll of 1,002 adults found that 29% of voters believed that there should be a constitutional amendment to allow abortion "in any case where the woman requests it". Support was highest at 37% within the 18- to 35-year-old age group.[6] In 2018, The Thirty-sixth amendment of the constitution of Ireland, was voted for by 66.40% of the Irish population, receiving a majority in all constituency of the republic apart from Donegal[7]
  • Great Britain: A January 2010 Angus Reid Public Opinion poll asked "Do you think abortion should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?" 36% responded that they believe abortion should be legal in all circumstances, 55% that it should be legal in certain circumstances, and 3% that it should be illegal in all circumstances.[8]
  • Poland: An April 2019 Kantar poll in Poland found 58% of Poles supported women to have the right to abortion on-demand up to the 12th week of pregnancy, 35% opposed and 7% had no opinion.[9] A poll from 28 October 2020 found that 22% of Poles supported abortion-on demand, 62% only in certain cases and 11% thought it should be completely illegal.[10]
  • The Netherlands: A September 2023 poll showed that 86% of the population above the age of 25 believed that woman should be able to choose to get an abortion. The poll also found that only 9% of people believed that abortion is murder, compared to the 13% of the people in a 2017 poll.[11]

2005 poll of ten countries

A May 2005 Euro RSCG/TNS Sofres poll examined attitudes toward abortion in 10 European countries, asking polltakers whether they agreed with the statement, "If a woman doesn't want children, she should be able to have an abortion".[12] Results were as follows:

Country "Very much" "A little" "Not really" "Not at all"
Czech Republic 66% 15% 8% 10%
Finland 54% 20% 9% 13%
France 55% 23% 8% 13%
Germany 40% 24% 10% 24%
Italy 29% 24% 16% 25%
Netherlands 37% 22% 11% 26%
Poland 23% 24% 19% 29%
Portugal 32% 20% 12% 30%
Spain 41% 18% 8% 27%
United Kingdom 43% 23% 10% 19%

Eastern Europe/Eurasia study

An April 2003 CDC/ORC Macro report examined sentiment on abortion among women aged 15 to 44 in six former-Comecon countries, asking, "Do you think that (in any situation) a woman always has (or should have) the right to decide about her (own) pregnancy, including whether to have an abortion?"[13] The results were:

Country Azerbaijan
(2001) 		Czech Republic
(1993) 		Georgia
(1999) 		Moldova
(1997) 		Romania
(1999) 		Russia
(1996)
Yes 80% 85% 79% 81% 78% 72%
No 20% 15% 21% 19% 22% 28%

Among those whose response was "no" above, it was then asked if abortion would be acceptable under selected circumstances. Positive responses to this subsequent question were:

Country Azerbaijan
(2001) 		Czech Republic
(1993) 		Georgia
(1999) 		Moldova
(1997) 		Romania
(1999) 		Russia
(1996)
If the pregnancy endangers woman's life 83% 91% 80% 71% 69% N/A
If the child might be born deformed 80% 74% 80% 88% 70% N/A
If pregnancy endangers woman's health 70% 72% 70% 38% 52% N/A
If pregnancy resulted from rape 67% 71% 40% 43% 42% N/A
If family cannot afford to support the child 65% 16% 23% 32% 29% N/A
If the woman is not married 66% 8% 22% 16% 23% N/A

North and Central America

  • Canada: A December 2001 Gallup poll about abortion in Canada, asked, "Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances and in what circumstances?" 32% responded that they believe abortion should be legal in all circumstances, 52% that it should be legal in certain circumstances, and 14% that it should be legal in no circumstances.
  • Mexico: A November 2005 IMO poll about abortion in Mexico[broken anchor] found that 73.4% think abortion should not be legalized while 11.2% think it should.[14]
  • Nicaragua: An August–September 2006 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll on the legality of abortion to save a woman's life found that 20% of respondents felt strongly that it should be "legal", 49% felt somewhat that it should be "legal", 18% felt strongly that it should be "illegal", and 10% felt somewhat that it should be "illegal".[15]
  • Panama: A May 2005 Dichter & Neira/La Prensa poll found that 89.4% disagreed with abortion and 8.3% agreed.[16]
  • Canada: A January 2010 Angus Reid Public Opinion poll found that 40% of Canadians think abortion should be permitted in all cases, while 31% support it with some restrictions; 41% say the health care system should pay for abortions only in emergency cases; 53% say under-aged girls should need parental consent for abortions.[17]
  • United States: A 2022 study that reviewing existing literature and public opinion datasets found that 43.8% in the U.S. are consistently "pro-choice" whereas 14.8% are consistently "pro-life." Support for abortion has gradually increased over time in the U.S. since the Roe v. Wade ruling.[18]
  • United States: A January 2010 Angus Reid Public Opinion poll found that 30% of Americans think abortion should be permitted only in cases of rape, incest, or to save the woman's life; 44% agree with banning abortion coverage through insurance companies subsidized by the government, while 42% disagree; 31% claim pregnant women don't have enough information about alternatives to abortion.[19]
  • United States: A February 2007 CBS News poll about abortion in the U.S. asked, "What is your personal feeling about abortion?", and 30% said that it should be "permitted only in cases such as rape, incest or to save the woman's life", 31% said that abortion should be "permitted in all cases", 16% that it should be "permitted, but subject to greater restrictions than it is now", 12% said that it should "only be permitted to save the woman's life", and 5% said that it should "never" be permitted.[20] The Gallup poll has obtained the following results:[21][22]
Gallup opinion poll results in USA since 1975
2003 Poll 2000 Poll 1996 Poll
Legal Illegal Legal Illegal Legal Illegal
First trimester 66% 29% 66% 31% 64% 30%
Second trimester 25% 68% 24% 69% 26% 65%
Third trimester 10% 84% 8% 86% 13% 82%

Oceania

  • Australia: Since at least the 1980s, public opinion polls have shown a majority of Australians support abortion rights,[23] and that support for abortion is increasing.[24] In 2003, a poll by the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes found that 81% of Australians believe a woman should have the right to choose an abortion,[24] and a 2007 poll by the same group found 4% of Australians are opposed to abortion in all circumstances.[25]

South America

  • Argentina: A September 2011 survey conducted by the nonprofit organization Catholics for Choice found that 45% of Argentines are in favor of abortion for any reason in the first twelve weeks. This same poll conducted in September 2011 also suggests that most Argentines favor abortion being legal when a woman's health or life is at risk (81%), when the pregnancy is a result of rape (80%) or the fetus has severe abnormalities (68%).[26]
  • Brazil: In 2021, a survey conducted by PoderData, found that, 58% of Brazilians are against the legalization of abortion in Brazil, those who are favorable of legalization add up to 31%. Another 11% do not know or do not respond.[27]
  • Chile: A 2014 poll found that 70% of Chileans supported abortion if a mother's life is in danger, if a fetus is unviable or when a pregnancy is a result of rape.[28] According to a Pew Research Center poll in 2014, in Chile, public opinion is divided on the issue; 47% say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 49% say it should be illegal in all or most circumstances.[29]
  • Colombia: A September 2017 survey, conducted by the nonprofit Table for Life and Women's Health, found that 65% of Colombians believe that abortion should be legal for certain circumstances.[30]
  • Uruguay: A May 2007 Factum/El Espectador survey asked Uruguayans about a law under debate in their country's Senate, which would legalize abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, finding that 61% support the law, 27% oppose the law, and 12% are unsure about it.[31]

Attitudes by religion

Overall, religion is a clear determinant of certain group's opinion on abortion. While different religions elicit different levels of support for abortion, there are clear correlations between one's faith, and support/opposition for abortion policy. Thus, within the societal umbrella of abortion opinion, each religion provides a specific contribution to the society's overall position.

Information from Pew Research Center (2015).[32]
Religious Tradition Legal in All/Most Cases Illegal in All/Most Cases
Jehovah's Witness 18% 75%
Mormon 27% 70%
Evangelical Protestant 33% 63%
Catholic 48% 47%
Orthodox Christian 53% 45%
Historically Black Protestant 52% 42%
Muslim 55% 37%
Mainline Protestant 60% 35%
Hindu 68% 29%
Unaffiliated 73% 23%
Buddhist 82% 17%
Jewish 83% 15%
...

Christianity

An October 2006 Pew Research Center survey of moral opinion among Christians in 10 countries asked "... [Do] you think abortion can always be justified, sometimes be justified, or never be justified?"[33] [unreliable source?] [verification needed] [dubious – discuss]

Country "Always justified" "Sometimes justified" "Never justified"
Brazil 4% 16% 79%
Chile 4% 23% 71%
Guatemala 3% 10% 85%
India (localities) 9% 19% 68%
Kenya n/a 11% 88%
Nigeria 1% 4% 94%
Philippines 0% 3% 97%
South Africa 8% 16% 73%
South Korea 0% 45% 54%
United States 5% 46% 45%

The poll also asked respondents whether they agreed with the statement, "The government should not interfere with a woman's ability to have an abortion".

Country "Completely agree" "Mostly agree" "Mostly disagree" "Completely disagree"
Brazil 35% 13% 15% 34%
Chile 22% 24% 23% 25%
Guatemala 31% 27% 11% 28%
India (localities) 24% 22% 18% 33%
Kenya 14% 4% 12% 69%
Nigeria 20% 10% 18% 46%
Philippines 12% 13% 18% 56%
South Africa 21% 25% 19% 28%
South Korea 6% 56% 31% 3%
United States 40% 24% 12% 20%

Buddhism

According to a 2014 poll by the Pew Research Center surveying 264 people, 82% of American Buddhists supported abortion in all or most cases, while 17% opposed legal abortion in all or most cases.[34]

Hinduism

According to Hindu bioethics, abortion is only permitted when the mother's life is in danger. Many hindus believe in anti-abortion teaching, emphasizing Ahimsa and its intrinsic reverence for life. According to a 2020 poll, 53% of Hindus say that abortion is either “somewhat unacceptable” or “completely unacceptable.”[35]

Islam

According to a 2014 poll by The Pew Research Center surveying 237 people, 55% of American Muslims supported legal abortion in all or most cases, while 37% are opposed to legal abortion in all or most cases.[36]

Atheism

According to a 2014 poll by The Pew Research Center surveying 1,098 people, 87% of American atheists supported abortion's legality in all or most cases, and 11% opposed abortion's legality in all or most cases.[37]

Among physicians and OBGYNs

At the societal level, especially in lesser developed countries, it seems to be a challenge to determine what is the exact numerical stance of obstetricians's on abortion. But, a recent survey with a small sample of OBGYN trainees from 47 countries and spanning 4 continents, yielded some more results about the attitude of OBGYNs toward abortion. 77.5% percent of the OBGYNs in the study supported the legalization of abortion in their country. Another 13.9% support the legalization with restrictions, with only 5.9% saying no and 2.7% answering "not sure."[38]

Some countries such as the United States have provided some idea of the level of support among physicians. A survey in the United States of more than 10,000 physicians (not only obstetricians) came to the result that 34% of physicians would perform an abortion in certain situations, even if it were against their own beliefs. Approximately 54% would not, and for the remaining 12%, it would depend on circumstances.[39]

Additionally, one survey collected specific, more recent data on OBGYNs in the United States and their overall feelings about certain abortion policies, as well as the exact percentage of OBGYNs that are willing/able to perform abortions. For example, a recent study conducted after the Dobbs' decision found that "Nearly one in five (18%) office-based OBGYNs nationally say that they are providing abortion services", the same study also found that "Eight in ten OBGYNs approve of a recent policy change from the FDA that allows certified pharmacies to dispense medication abortion pills."[40] This data, along with other material from this same article, seemed to suggest that the rate at which OBGYN's broadly support some form of abortion at a societal level conflicts with certain legal barriers preventing them from providing this service.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rule, Stephen. (2004). Rights or wrongs? Public attitudes towards moral values Archived 2006-10-30 at the Wayback Machine. HSRC Review, 2 (3). Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  2. ^ "Abortion Sometimes a Moral Issue, Say Austrians." (June 3, 2007). Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  3. ^ "Most in Czech Republic Support Abortion Rights[permanent dead link‍]." (June 10, 2007). Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  4. ^ "Survey: 60% in favour of legal abortion". 21 January 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2011-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Red C Opinion Poll, January 10th 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  7. ^ McCarthy, Justin (26 May 2018). "Landslide victory for Yes side in referendum". RTÉ. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Half of Britons Say NHS Should Only Fund Abortions in Emergency Cases." (January 13, 2010). Angus Reid Public Opinion. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  9. ^ "Sondaż: Rośnie poparcie dla aborcji na żądanie do 12. tygodnia ciąży". Newsweek. 17 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-10-28.
  10. ^ "Sondaż: orzeczenie Trybunału Konstytucyjnego w sprawie aborcji popiera 13 procent pytanych". TVN24 (in Polish). 28 October 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  11. ^ "Nederlanders vinden keuzevrijheid voor abortus belangrijk". 28 September 2023.
  12. ^ EURO RSCG; TNS Sofres. (May 2005). "European Values" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-19. Retrieved 2007-06-17. (associated article Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine)
  13. ^ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; ORC Macro. (April 2003). "Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health in Eastern Europe and Eurasia: A Comparative Report". p. 89. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Mexicans Support Status Quo on Social Issues Archived 2006-12-19 at the Wayback Machine." (December 1, 2005). Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
  15. ^ "Nicaraguans Favour Abortion in Some Cases Archived 2007-01-28 at the Wayback Machine." (December 4, 2006). Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
  16. ^ "Panamanians Reject Abortion, Same-Sex Marriage Archived 2008-09-06 at the Wayback Machine." (May 23, 2005). Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
  17. ^ "Many Canadians Would Like to See Restrictions on Abortion Procedures Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine." (January 15, 2010). Angus Reid Public Opinion. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  18. ^ Osborne, Danny; Huang, Yanshu; Overall, Nickola C.; Sutton, Robbie M.; Petterson, Aino; Douglas, Karen M.; Davies, Paul G.; Sibley, Chris G. (2022). "Abortion Attitudes: An Overview of Demographic and Ideological Differences". Political Psychology. 43: 29–76. doi:10.1111/pops.12803. hdl:2292/59008. ISSN 0162-895X. S2CID 247365991.
  19. ^ "Split on Covering Abortion in Insurance Plans that Use Federal Subsidies[permanent dead link‍]." (January 14, 2010). Angus Reid Public Opinion. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  20. ^ The Polling Report. (2006). Retrieved January 11, 2006.
  21. ^ The Polling Report. (2008). Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  22. ^ See Saad, "Americans Walk the Middle Road on Abortion," The Gallup Poll Monthly (April 2000); Gallup Poll Topics from Florida Right to Life. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
  23. ^ It's time to come clean on abortion debate Archived 13 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, emilyslist.org.au. (1 February 2005). Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  24. ^ a b Katherine, Betts (2004). "Attitudes to Abortion in Australia: 1972 to 2003" (PDF). People and Place. 12 (4).
  25. ^ Katehrine, Betts (2009). "Betts, Katharine. "Attitudes to abortion: Australia and Queensland in the twenty-first century" (PDF). People and Place. 17 (3).
  26. ^ "Views on Changing the Law on Abortion in Argentina" (PDF). Belden Russonello Strategists LLC. October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  27. ^ "58% da população rejeita liberação da prática do aborto, mostra PoderData - 08/01/2021 - Site - Poder360". www.poder360.com.br/. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  28. ^ "Chile's abortion reform in trouble with ruling coalition split". The Guardian. Reuters. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  29. ^ "Social Attitudes on Moral Issues in Latin America". 13 November 2014.
  30. ^ "El 65 % del país le dice sí al aborto legal". ElEspectador.com. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 2017-09-28. (in Spanish)
  31. ^ "Uruguayans Support Legalizing Abortion[permanent dead link‍]. (June 1, 2007). Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  32. ^ Bruce, Tricia (August 13, 2020). "Efficacy, Distancing, and Reconciling: Religion and Race in Americans' Abortion Attitudes". Religions. 11 (9): 2. doi:10.3390/rel11090475.
  33. ^ The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. (October 5, 2006). Spirit and Power: A 10-Country Survey of Pentecostals. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  34. ^ "Religious Landscape Study". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  35. ^ Center, Pew Research (2022-03-02). "2. Son preference and abortion". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  36. ^ "Religious Landscape Study".
  37. ^ "Religious Landscape Study".
  38. ^ Elif, Topcu; Ramirez, Atziri; Akaninyene, Ubom (September 11, 2023). "A global study on the abortion views and knowledge of trainee obstetrician-gynecologists". International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 163 (2): 453–460. doi:10.1002/ijgo.15119. PMID 37694673.
  39. ^ Doctors Struggle With Tougher-Than-Ever Dilemmas: Other Ethical Issues Author: Leslie Kane. 11/11/2010
  40. ^ Frederiksen, Brittni (June 21, 2023). "A National Survey of OBGYNs' Experiences After Dobbs". KFF.org. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
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