Just under two-thirds of respondents said they believe abortion medication should be available to those with a prescription, a Gallup poll revealed.
Sixty-three percent favor wide access to mifepristone, the abortion pill, compared to 35% who remain opposed. The Values and Beliefs survey, conducted from May 1-24, was released Wednesday.
STARTING PISTOL: LANDMARK SUPREME COURT GUN RULING SPARKS LAWSUITS ON ‘SENSITIVE PLACES’
The poll found support for abortion pill use among adults is higher now than it was in 2000 when the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of mifepristone, a decision 50% supported and 44% opposed at the time. That same year, 39% favored mifepristone’s availability as a prescription drug while 47% disapproved, according to Gallup.
Mifepristone is an abortion-inducing drug that can be used up until 10 weeks of pregnancy, or 70 days after the patient’s last period. Mifepristone is used to stop the growth of a fetus in the womb, 48 hours after which the abortion patient is instructed to ingest misoprostol, which terminates the pregnancy.
The increased support for abortion medication is likely due to the reversal of Roe v. Wade last June during a time when many people consider themselves “pro-choice.”
“Support for making mifepristone available coincides with elevated support for women’s access to reproductive health choices since the overturn of the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision,” the report read. “These data also coincide with Americans identifying as pro-choice at a historically elevated rate, likely a reaction to the Dobbs decision and coinciding with a period when the abortion issue is back at the center of U.S. politics in a way it hasn’t been for decades.”
Furthermore, the poll showed that the issue fell along partisan lines, with support from 41% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats. Independents sat in the middle, at 63%.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Differences by gender were not as far apart in the results. Sixty percent of men remain in favor, while 64% of women support abortion pill access. The different age demographics also showed little variation, revealing younger people are more likely to express favor than older people.
Abortion pill availability recently returned to the public discussion after a Texas judge suspended the FDA’s approval of mifepristone in April. The ruling was appealed by a federal court, and the Supreme Court thereafter allowed the prescription drug to remain available in the U.S. in the name of preserving women’s reproductive rights.
