Essential Findings

• When the initial 2024 presidential major is nine months away, numerous Republican hopefuls and President Biden have begun their messaging to voters, which includes staking out positions on controversial overall health difficulties like abortion. Hunting ahead to 2024, 3 in ten voters say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion. This incorporates almost half of Democratic voters (46%) and far more than a single-third of ladies voters (35%). Yet another half of voters (53%) say abortion is just a single of quite a few vital components they will be weighing in their choices for the duration of the 2024 election and 16% say abortion is not an vital element in their vote.
• Six months immediately after abortion access was a single of the significant difficulties in the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats have a powerful edge more than Republicans on which political celebration the public believes most effective represents their views on abortion, with 4 in ten (42%) saying the Democratic Celebration most effective represents their personal views on abortion, compared to about a single fourth (26%) who say the Republican Celebration most effective represents their personal views on abortion. The Democratic Celebration also has the benefit amongst ladies ages 18 to 49. About half (45%) of ladies ages 18 to 49 say their views on abortion are most effective represented by the Democratic Celebration, almost twice the share (24%) who say their views align most with the Republican Celebration. A substantial share (32%) of the public says “neither party” represents their views on abortion, which includes 3 in ten ladies ages 18 to 49.
• It is been almost a year due to the fact the Supreme Court issued a selection in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Overall health Organization and with quite a few states passing laws either restricting or defending abortion access, the KFF Overall health Tracking Poll finds big majorities of the public are now conscious that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, even though quite a few Hispanic and Black ladies beneath age 50 stay unsure of the status of Roe (43% and 32%, respectively).
• Awareness of mifepristone, the abortion pill that has been the concentrate of numerous ongoing lawsuits, has doubled due to the fact January 2023, with about two-thirds of adults now saying they have heard of the drug compared to about 3 in ten in January. The share of ladies ages 18 to 49 who have heard of mifepristone has enhanced 15 percentage points to 61%, up from 46% in January.
• As the legal landscape surrounding abortion and mifepristone continues to modify, there is widespread confusion about no matter if the use of mifepristone for abortion is legal. About half (45%) of the public say they are “unsure” no matter if medication abortion is accessible in their state, and far more than half of ladies ages 18 to 49 living in states with a complete abortion ban either incorrectly think they can access medication abortion (15%) or say they are unsure (46%).
• Most adults in the U.S. are conscious medication abortion tablets are secure but views towards the medication are largely partisan, and some confusion remains. Almost 3-fourths of Democrats say medication abortion is secure (72%), as do six in ten (58%) of independents. Much less than half of Republicans agree (40%). Republicans are also twice as most likely as Democrats to say they are “not sure” about the security of mifepristone (22% v. 45%). When it comes to abortion procedures, majorities across partisans are conscious they are secure, and fewer are unsure about their security.
• With the current court case difficult the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, the most recent KFF Overall health Tracking Poll finds self-confidence is comparatively higher for the government agency, with about two-thirds of adults expressing “a lot” or “some” self-confidence in the FDA to make certain that drugs sold in the U.S. are secure and efficient (65%). The public does not have as substantially self-confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court, specifically when it comes to generating the correct choices on situations relating to reproductive and sexual overall health. A majority of the public, which includes about seven in ten ladies (69%) say they trust the Court either “not as well much” or “not at all” to make the correct selection on this concern. This incorporates majorities of ladies across age groups and race and ethnicity, as effectively as majorities of Democrats and independents. Almost six in ten (56%) Republicans, on the other hand, say they trust the Court to make choices about reproductive and sexual overall health.

The Part Abortion May well Play In The 2024 Election

With abortion playing an vital function in voters’ choices to turn out and who to vote for for the duration of the 2022 election, the KFF Overall health Tracking Poll examines how abortion may perhaps motivate voters in the upcoming 2024 election, the initial presidential election due to the fact the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 3 in ten voters say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their view on abortion and about half (53%) of voters saying a candidate’s stance on abortion will be just a single of quite a few components they will be weighing. A smaller sized share (16%) say abortion will not be an vital element in their voting selection.

Comparable to the 2022 midterms, the concern of abortion access is most salient for ladies voters and Democratic voters. About a single-third (35%) of ladies and almost half of Democratic voters (46%) say they will only vote for a candidate that shares their view on abortion, far more than twice the share of Republican voters (20%) who say the very same.

Extra than a third of ladies voters 18 to 49 (36%), say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion. Partisan voters inside this age group are equivalent to partisan voters general, with half (48%) of Democratic ladies voters ages 18 to 49 saying they would only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion, compared to 3 in ten independent ladies and about a single-fourth (23%) of Republican ladies voters in this age group. Having said that, couple of ladies voters in this age group across celebration say it is abortion is not an vital concern to their vote (eight% of Democrats,13% of independents, 13% of Republicans).

Voters living in states exactly where abortion is completely banned (29%) or legal, but with gestational limits (28%) are no far more most likely to say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their opinion than voters in states exactly where abortion is legal (32%). Comparable shares of voters who say abortion should really be legal in all or most situations (31%) and these who say it should really be illegal in all or most situations (28%) will only vote for a candidate that shares their views.

For the public general, the Democratic Celebration holds a powerful edge more than the Republican Celebration on the concern of abortion. About 4 in ten (42%) say the Democratic Celebration most effective represents their personal views on abortion, compared to about a single fourth (26%) who say the Republican Celebration most effective represents their personal views on abortion. A substantial share (32%) of the public says “neither party” represents their views on abortion.

When most partisans pick their personal celebration as the a single that most effective represents their views on abortion, about a single in 5 Republicans say “neither party” most effective represents their views (21%), and an further six% say the Democratic Celebration most effective represents their views on abortion. Half of independents say neither celebration represents their views on abortion, when 4 in ten (36%) say they are most effective represented by the Democratic Celebration, and 13% say their views on abortion most effective align with the Republican Celebration. Nine in ten Democrats say their views on abortion are most effective represented by the Democratic Celebration.

Ladies ages 18 to 49, the group most straight impacted by the Supreme Court selection in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Overall health Organization, are almost twice as most likely to say their views on abortion are most effective represented by the Democratic Celebration compared to the Republican Celebration. About half (45%) of ladies ages 18 to 49 say they are most effective represented by the Democratic Celebration, when a single-fourth (24%) say they really feel their views align most with the Republican Celebration. About 3 in ten (31%) say “neither party” most effective represents their views. The Democratic Celebration also holds an benefit on abortion amongst Black, Hispanic, and White ladies ages 18 to 49. The Democratic Celebration also holds a equivalent benefit amongst ladies ages 18 to 49 in states exactly where abortion is at present banned and in states exactly where it is legal. Partisan ladies in this age group appear equivalent to partisans general, as about 3-fourths of Republican ladies ages 18 to 49 say their views most effective align with the Republican celebration, 17% say neither celebration represents their views, and couple of (six%) say the Democratic Celebration represents them.

1 Year Due to the fact The Dobbs Selection

Almost a single year immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, about seven in ten (71%) U.S. adults are conscious of the selection and only a smaller share (five%) incorrectly say Roe is nonetheless the law of the land. Nonetheless, about a single in 4 (24%) U.S. adults say they are “not sure” no matter if the 1973 ruling that established a woman’s constitutional correct to an abortion is nonetheless the law of the land, which includes a substantial share of ladies ages 18-49, the group most straight impacted by the ruling.

Almost seven in ten ladies ages 18 to 49 (68%) are conscious Roe has been overturned, when a single-fourth say they are not confident, and 7% incorrectly say Roe is nonetheless in impact, comparatively unchanged from June 2022. Inside this group, Black and Hispanic ladies are much less most likely to be conscious that Roe has been overturned than White ladies. 4 in ten (43%) Hispanic ladies, ages 18 to 49, and about a single-third (32%) of Black ladies, ages 18-49, say they are “not sure” about the status of Roe, compared to about a single in seven (16%) White ladies. About a third of ladies ages 18 to 49 with no a college degree are also unsure of the status of Roe in the U.S.

The survey findings indicate some ladies ages 18 to 49 are altering their method to contraception and reproductive overall health following the Dobbs selection. Extra than half (55%) of ladies ages 18 to 49 say they or somebody they know has taken at least a single of numerous measures aimed at decreasing the likelihood of acquiring pregnant due to issues about not becoming in a position to access an abortion. This incorporates roughly 3 in ten ladies in this age group who say they or somebody they know has began utilizing lengthy-acting birth manage such as an IUD or implant (32%), gotten a new prescription for an oral contraceptive (28%), or purchased Program B or emergency contraception in case it was required in the future (28%).

State Abortion Laws

More than the previous year, the U.S. has observed numerous state-level actions on abortion access with quite a few states generating abortion illegal, some states solidifying access to abortions, and in some states legal challenges to abortion bans are nonetheless becoming deemed in in the state courts. 3 in 4 U.S. adults say they fully grasp the abortion laws in their personal state either “very well” (30%) or “somewhat well” (45%), when a single in 4 really feel they fully grasp them “not as well well” (20%) or “not at all well” (five%).

With quite a few states passing bans on abortion, almost 3-fourths (73%) of adults say these bans make it far more challenging for physicians to safely take care of pregnant persons who expertise significant complications. In addition, two-thirds of the public are either “very concerned” (42%) or “somewhat concerned” (23%) that bans on abortion may perhaps lead to unnecessary overall health difficulties. This incorporates eight in ten (82%) Democrats and seven in ten independents and about half (47%) of Republicans who are concerned these bans could lead to unnecessary overall health difficulties. 4 in ten Republicans say bans on abortion do not make it far more challenging for physicians to treat pregnant individuals.

Medication Abortion In The Courts

The availability of mifepristone, made use of for medication abortion, has been the topic of numerous court situations following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the federal typical relating to abortion access. On April 21st, the US Supreme Court blocked a reduced court order that would have stopped the distribution and availability of the medication abortion drug, mifepristone, across the nation. The higher court’s ruling enables the present FDA guidelines to stay in impact, maintaining mifepristone accessible for medication abortion where and when abortion is legal as the case proceeds via the courts.

Awareness Of Medication Abortion On The Rise, But Some View It As Unsafe

Awareness of the abortion pill has doubled due to the fact January 2023, with about two-thirds (64%) of adults now saying they have heard of the drug compared to about 3 in ten (31%) in January. The share of ladies ages 18 to 49 who have heard of mifepristone has enhanced 15 percentage points to 61%, up from 46% in January.

Public confused aBOUT legality AND Security Of medication abortion

There continues to be widespread confusion on no matter if medication abortion is legal in specific states with about half (45%) of all adults say they are “unsure” no matter if medication abortion is accessible in their state.

The Existing Landscape of Abortions in the U.S.

In fourteen states—with North Dakota becoming the most current addition to the list on April 24th—abortions are banned. This incorporates abortion procedures and medication abortions,. When the state bans and restrictions consist of life or overall health exceptions, the vagueness of the language describing them can successfully restrict the potential of clinicians to workout their personal healthcare judgement primarily based on their knowledge and accepted requirements of care. Couple of state abortion bans include exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The stated aims of the exceptions to offer life-saving and overall health preserving abortion care may perhaps not be accomplished in practice.

In eleven states, abortions—both procedures and medication—are legal, but with gestational limits from six weeks (GA), to amongst twelve and 22 weeks (AZ, UT, NE, KS, IA, IN, OH, NC, SC, FL).

In the remaining 25 states and D.C., abortions are legal and accessible beyond 22 weeks, and in some situations protected by the state constitution.

These who reside in states exactly where abortion is legal and accessible are substantially far more most likely to be conscious of the legality of medication abortion in their state, when a bigger share of these in states exactly where abortion is restricted or banned say they are “unsure.”

In the 25 states and D.C. exactly where abortion is legal beyond 22 weeks gestation six in ten appropriately say medication abortion is legal in their state, when 4 in ten either incorrectly say medication abortion is illegal (six%) or say they are “not sure” (34%). In the 14 states exactly where all abortion techniques, which includes medication abortion is banned, a single-third are conscious of this when 13% incorrectly think the medication is legal, and far more than half (54%) say they are unsure. In states exactly where abortion is banned beyond a specific quantity of weeks of gestation, medication abortion is a legal alternative for early intervention. Six in ten of adults living in these states are “not sure” about the status of medication abortion, 15% incorrectly say it is illegal, and a single-fourth are conscious it is legal in their state.

Similarly, there is confusion amongst ladies of reproductive age more than what is accessible to them. Almost half (46%) of ladies ages 18 to 49 living in states exactly where abortion is banned are unsure about no matter if medication abortion is legal, and 15% incorrectly say it is legal. In states exactly where abortion is legal up to a specific point, far more than half (53%) of ladies ages 18 to 49 are unsure about the status of medication abortion, and an further a single-fifth (18%) incorrectly say it is illegal. Ladies in states exactly where abortion is legal and accessible are far more conscious, with six in ten appropriately saying medication abortion is legal in their state.

Most U.S. adults (55%) say medication abortion tablets are “very safe” (30%) or “somewhat safe” (25%) for the individual taking them when taken as directed by a medical professional, but a substantial share (35%) say they are “not sure” about the pills’ security. Couple of adults think the tablets to be either “very unsafe” (three%) or “somewhat unsafe” (six%).

Comparable to most concerns about abortion, perceptions of security divide by partisanship. Almost 3-fourths of Democrats say medication abortion tablets are secure (72%), as do six in ten (58%) independents. Much less than half of Republicans agree (40%). Republicans are also twice as most likely as Democrats to say they are “not sure” about the security of mifepristone (22% v. 45%). Views on the security of medication abortion also slightly differ by gender with bigger shares of ladies than guys saying medication abortion is secure, but at least 3 in ten guys and ladies are unsure about the security of the medication.

In addition, extremely couple of U.S. adults are appropriately conscious that mifepristone is safer, when taken as directed, than Viagra (16%), Penicillin (eight%) and Tylenol (7%). About 4 in ten say they are not confident about how the security of these drugs evaluate to mifepristone (Viagra: 44%, Penicillin: 41%, Tylenol: 40%).

When quite a few are uncertain about the security of medication abortion, bigger majorities (74%) are conscious abortion procedures are “very” (44%) or “somewhat safe” (30%), with couple of saying they are “somewhat” (eight%) or “very unsafe” (four%). An further 14% say they are unsure about the security of abortion procedures. Majorities across partisans and gender say that abortion procedures are at least somewhat secure, even though ladies and Democrats are far more most likely to say this compared to guys and Republicans.

Mifepristone For Miscarriage Therapy

In addition to the use for medication abortions, mifepristone as effectively as misoprostol (the other drug made use of for medication abortion) can also be made use of to treat miscarriages and to induce labor. When abortion bans do not explicitly ban the use of mifepristone or misoprostol for miscarriage management, the exceptions to abortion bans are restricted and vague. In states with abortion bans or restrictions, quite a few clinicians have delayed delivering miscarriage management till the pregnant person’s overall health worsens. A big majority of adults are not conscious that mifepristone can be made use of to treat a miscarriage, even though ladies (22%) and Democrats (27%) are most most likely to be conscious that it can be made use of for this objective.

Views Of The Supreme Court And The FDA

On the heels of these important legal battles, the most recent KFF Overall health Tracking Poll finds most U.S. adults disapprove of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and a powerful majority say they do not trust the Court to make choices about reproductive and sexual overall health.

Six in ten adults (58%) say they disapprove of the way SCOTUS is handling its job which includes majorities of adults across age groups, race and ethnic groups, and gender. Views of the Court are largely partisan with 3 in 4 Democrats (78%) and six in ten independents (61%) disapproving of the way the Court is handling its job, when two in 3 Republicans (66%) approve. 1 year immediately after the Dobbs selection, two-thirds of ladies ages 18 to 49 (65%) say they disapprove of the way the Supreme Court is handling its job.

About half of the public say they trust the Supreme Court to make the correct selection about situations connected to science and technologies (55%), situations connected to the function of the federal government (53%), and situations connected to the future of the Cost-effective Care Act (ACA) (49%). But much less than 4 in ten (37%) say they trust the Court to make the correct choices about situations connected to reproductive and sexual overall health which includes about 3 in ten (28%) ladies ages 18 to 49.

Massive majorities of Republicans say they trust SCOTUS “a lot” or “somewhat” to make the correct choices about situations connected to each and every of the difficulties asked about when fewer than half of Democrats agree. At least six in ten Republicans say they trust the Court on difficulties connected to science and technologies (74%), the function of the federal government (66%), and the future of the ACA (65%). Extra than half of Republicans (56%) say they trust the Court to make choices about reproductive and sexual overall health. Amongst Democrats, about 4 in ten say they trust SCOTUS at least somewhat on the function of the federal government (45%), science and technologies (44%), and the future of the ACA (37%). A big majority of Democrats (79%) say they do not trust the Court to make the correct choices on situations connected to reproductive and sexual overall health. Independents’ trust of the Supreme Court varies with about half of them saying they trust the Court at least “somewhat” on difficulties connected to science and technologies (50%), function of federal government (51%), and the future of the ACA (48%), but fewer (34%) say they trust the Court to make the correct selection when it comes to reproductive and sexual overall health.

Almost a single year due to the fact the Dobbs selection, most ladies say they do not trust the Supreme Court to make the correct selection when it comes to situations connected to reproductive and sexual overall health. About seven in ten ladies (69%) say they trust the Court either “not as well much” or “not at all” to make the correct selection on this concern, when 3 in ten say they trust the Court either “somewhat” or “a lot.” This incorporates at least half of Hispanic ladies (55%), and two-thirds of Black (64%) and White (64%) ladies  who say they do not trust the Court on these difficulties.

Almost 3-fourths (72%) of ladies ages 18-49, the group most straight impacted by the Dobbs selection, say they do not trust the Court to make the correct selection on situations connected to reproductive and sexual overall health. This incorporates a majority of ladies in this age group (ages 18 to 49) across celebration lines, which includes 56% of Republican ladies ages 18 to 49, and at least 3-fourths of independent (75%) and Democratic (81%) ladies of reproductive age.

The U.S. Meals And Drug Administration

In light of the legal debate about the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone, the most recent KFF Overall health Tracking Poll finds six in ten adults say it is “inappropriate” for a court to overturn the FDA’s approval of a medication, when 4 in ten (39%) say they assume it is “appropriate.” 3-fourths of Democrats (73%) say they assume the court overturning the FDA’s approval of a medication is “inappropriate,” as do almost six in ten (57%) independents. Republicans are divided with equivalent shares saying the court overturning the FDA’s approval of a medication is “appropriate” (50%) and “inappropriate” (49%).

General self-confidence in the FDA is comparatively higher, with about two-thirds of adults obtaining “a lot” or “some” self-confidence in the FDA to make certain that drugs sold in the U.S. are secure and efficient (65%), which includes a quarter (23%) who say they have “a lot” of self-confidence. About a single-third (35%) of adults say they either have “a small confidence” (21%) or “no self-confidence at all” (14%) in the FDA to make certain drugs sold in the U.S. are secure and efficient.

Majorities across demographic groups, which includes partisanship and age, report obtaining self-confidence in the FDA to make certain the security of drugs. Having said that, bigger shares of adults 65 and older (31%) and Democrats (34%) report obtaining “a lot of confidence” in the FDA’s certification of drugs, with fewer of these ages 18 to 29 (15%) and Republicans (15%) who say the very same.