On day of March for Life, three in four Americans want laws to protect mothers, their unborn children

Americans across political spectrum favor no abortion after first three months of pregnancy

WASHINGTON – More than three in four Americans (76 percent) agree that abortion should be limited to the first three months of pregnancy or only in “cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.” That supermajority has held firm for the last decade according to a new Marist poll.

As hundreds of thousands of Americans assemble Friday for the 45th annual March for Life, the Marist survey on “Americans’ Opinions on Abortion” reveals an emerging pro-life consensus in favor of greater protection for pregnant women and their children.

“This poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly stand for life and want stronger legal protection for both the unborn and pregnant women who seek alternatives to abortion,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot, vice president of the ADF Center for Life. “Government should protect innocent life and freedom of conscience for healthcare professionals, not Planned Parenthood and its billion-dollar, for-profit abortion business.”

Other revealing data from the poll:

• Seventy-eight percent of respondents said that laws can protect both the health and well-being of a woman and the life of the unborn, while only 15 percent said laws should protect one and not the other. Surprisingly, 73 percent of those identifying as “pro-choice” agreed that both the unborn and women can be protected. Seventy-three percent of Democrats and 80 percent of independents shared that view.
•  Six in 10 “pro-choice” Americans (60 percent) believe abortion should be limited to the first three months of a pregnancy or only in “cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.”
•  More than six in 10 Americans (63 percent) support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Fifty-six percent of “pro-choice” respondents support the “20-week ban.”
•  Six in 10 Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars to pay for a woman’s abortion (60 percent), including 40 percent of those who identify as “pro-choice.”
•  A majority of Americans think those with moral objections shouldn’t be legally required to provide abortion services or insurance coverage (54 percent). Only 38 percent oppose freedom of conscience for healthcare professionals.

• Pronunciation guide: Theriot (TAIR’-ee-oh)