New Haven, Conn., Jul 25, 2016 / 12:47 pm (CNA).- A new poll released Monday found that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe abortion clinics should be held to the same medical and safety standards as other outpatient surgery centers.
The survey follows last month’s Supreme Court ruling striking down a Texas law regulating abortion clinics on the grounds that it placed an “undue burden” on a women’s “right to an abortion.”
The case had challenged two Texas regulations of abortion clinics. One regulation said that abortionists must have admitting privileges at a local hospital in case of a medical emergency at their clinic. The other said that clinic buildings must meet the standards of ambulatory surgery centers: they must have proper sanitation, staffing, and medical experts on hand to deal with medical emergencies.
Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed in the July 2016 poll believe that abortion clinics should be held to the same standards as other outpatient surgery centers.
The agreement was widespread across the board, including 77 percent of African Americans and 82 percent of Latinos, in addition to 77 percent of women, and 84 percent of millennials.
Even 74 percent of those who consider themselves “pro-choice” agreed that abortion clinics should meet the standards of other outpatient surgical centers.
Furthermore, 70 percent of Americans said that doctors who perform abortions to be required to have hospital admitting privileges.
This included 71 percent of women, 77 percent of millennials, and 78 percent of Latinos. Both those who identify as pro-life and those who identify as pro-choice showed a 71 percent rate of support for this requirement.
The survey, conducted July 5-12, 2016 by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, polled 1,009 adults in the U.S., with a 3.1 percentage point margin of error.
In addition to asking Americans about their views on medical standards for abortion facilities, the survey revisited questions from previous polls involving abortion restrictions.
It found that 78 percent of Americans support substantial restrictions on abortion and would limit it to the first trimester of pregnancy at most.
While this number is down from last year’s Marist survey, which found in January 2015 that 84 percent of Americans supported substantial abortion restrictions, the poll director said the numbers are still very stable throughout the years.
“The majority of Americans in favor of abortion restrictions has been consistently around 8 in 10 for the better part of a decade,” said Barbara Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll. “Though self-identification as pro-life or pro-choice can vary substantially from year to year, the support for restrictions is quite stable.”
The Marist poll also found that the majority of Americans – 62 percent – oppose taxpayer funding of abortion, although this number dropped by 6 percent from last year.
Opposition to taxpayer-funded abortion in the 2016 poll was found among 65 percent of African Americans, 61 percent of Latinos, and 45 percent of those who say they are pro-choice, in addition to 84 percent of Republicans, 61 percent of Independents and 44 percent of Democrats.
Remaining steady from last year, Americans by about a 20-point margin believed that medical professionals should not be forced to perform abortions against their conscience.
This included 61 percent of Latinos polled and 41 percent of those who identify as pro-choice.
Article Archive
Americans support higher standards for abortion clinics, poll finds
Related Articles • More Articles
Students participating in the CEDE workshop for St. John's College High School gather for a group photo at the basilica at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in November 2022. / Credit: Photo courtesy of CUACNA Staff, Apr 20, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).When Luke Burgis moved to Silicon Valley to start a business, he never expected he would become a seminarian and then go on to launch entrepreneurship programs for Catholic students. Burgis had attended NYU, worked on Wall Street, started several businesses in Silicon Valley, and moved to Las Vegas before deciding he wanted more meaning in his life. With the encouragement of a friend, he rekindled his Catholic faith. After five years in seminary, he ultimately discerned he would not become a priest, but he still found himself in need of deeper meaning in his work.So he founded Catholic Entrepreneurship and Design Experience (CEDE, pronounced "seed") in 2020 to help students across the country connect their w...
null / Credit: Peter Hermes Furian via ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on April 19 condemned the kidnapping and murder of a catechist in Burkina Faso, West Africa.In a news brief, ACN informed ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that catechist Edouard Yougbare was kidnapped on Thursday night by "terrorists, and his lifeless body was found near Zigni this morning."According to other local sources, along with Yougbare, who was a member of Saatenga parish in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso, more people were kidnapped and murdered."We are heartbroken by the loss of Yougbare. He served his community faithfully and his death is a devastating blow for the people of Saatenga," lamented Spaniard María Lozano, press and public relations director of ACN International."Catechists in Burkina Faso are on the front lines, risking their lives for the good of their people. Just two months ago, ano...
Pope Francis addresses the faithful at his Wednesday general audience on March 27, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 19, 2024 / 10:07 am (CNA).In the latest move in Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican judiciary, the pope issued a new motu proprio on Friday on the retirement age and benefits for cardinal judges and magistrates in the Vatican's court system.The April 19 motu proprio states that Vatican magistrates will retire at the end of the judicial year in which they turn 75 and cardinal judges at the age of 80, unless Pope Francis asks them to remain in office beyond the age limit.Magistrates and judges who wish to resign from office before the retirement age can only do so with the approval of the pope.The pope also has the prerogative to dismiss magistrates unable to fulfill their duties at any time. Upon the termination of their duties, magistrates will retain the rights to assistance and welfare provided to Vatican citizens and employees.The motu proprio, wh...