Abortion

reportMar 12, 2026

In recent years, the public has become more likely to say obtaining an abortion in their area would be difficult.

Majority of Americans say medication abortion should be legal | Do abortion attitudes differ by gender?

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Abortion

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reportAug 15, 2013

Abortion Viewed in Moral Terms: Fewer See Stem Cell Research and IVF as Moral Issues

Regardless of their views about the legality of abortion, most Americans think that having an abortion is a moral issue. By contrast, the public is much less likely to see other issues involving human embryos – such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization – as a matter of morality.
short readsJul 31, 2013

The new legal battlefield over abortion

Forty years after Roe v. Wade, the legal battles over abortion are far from over. In 2013 alone, state legislatures have enacted more than 40 new provisions aimed at restricting abortion access.
reportJul 29, 2013

Widening Regional Divide over Abortion Laws

Overview While the balance of opinion toward abortion nationwide has remained largely steady over the past 20 years, there are widening disparities in public attitudes on the issue across different regions of the country. Opposition to legal abortion is highest in parts of the South – including Texas, which recently passed sweeping new abortion restrictions. […]
short readsJun 25, 2013

As Texas considers new abortion restrictions, polls show complex debate

Abortion opponents in the Texas state legislature have been busy this week trying to pass a bill aimed at banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal, which passed the House on Monday, is now facing a Democratic filibuster in the state Senate. If the Senate approves it before the end of the legislative session at midnight and Republican Gov. Rick Perry (as promised) signs it, Texas would become the 13th state in recent years to enact such a restriction.
reportJun 4, 2013

Cuomo’s Proposal Aims to Protect Late-Term Abortion Access in NY

After months of anticipation, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has introduced a proposal that seeks to protect access to abortion in the third-largest U.S. state. A new Pew Research Center analysis explores the details of Cuomo’s bill, which aims to codify Roe v. Wade in state law.
reportMay 22, 2013

Federal Appeals Case Brings Contraception Coverage Mandate Back Into Spotlight

Some for-profit businesses are joining religiously affiliated nonprofits in challenging the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate, claiming it violates their religious liberty rights. A Pew Research Center analysis reviews the situation before a significant case is heard by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
reportApr 5, 2013

New York, Washington State Consider Bucking Trend on Abortion Laws

North Dakota and Arkansas are among the states that recently have passed legislation restricting access to abortion. Meanwhile, Washington state and New York are getting attention for possible action that could expand access to the procedure.
reportFeb 1, 2013

The Contraception Mandate and Religious Liberty

On Feb. 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new rules for how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate applies to religious nonprofits, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. Church-state law scholars Ira C. Lupu and Robert Tuttle explain the new rules and the legal arguments that religious groups might make.
reportJan 24, 2013

How Important is the Abortion Issue?

The public is split on whether abortion is a critical or important issue or whether it is not that important an issue. But this masks stark differences in opinion between regular churchgoers and those who attend religious services less often.
featureJan 22, 2013

Public Opinion on Abortion and Roe v. Wade

Public Opinion on Abortion and Roe v. Wade 2013-01-18 Jan. 22, 2013, is the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. A quarter of the U.S. public (25%) sees abortion as morally wrong and would like to have the decision completely overturned, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.