Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, on New Pew Poll Showing Increase in Support for Abortion Rights

Background:

According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press’s latest poll, 54 percent of Americans support legal abortion in all or most cases, compared to 42 percent saying abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.  This 12-point gap marks a significant increase in support for legal abortion.  A Pew survey conducted in 2009 found just a two-point gap, with 46 percent of respondents favoring legal abortion and 44 percent opposing.

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Statement by Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“These findings should give pause to the anti-choice politicians trying to restrict or repeal women’s right to safe, legal abortion.  Roe v. Wade affirmed that right decades ago, and Americans want it upheld.

“Despite this strong, mainstream support for abortion rights, anti-choice extremists are pushing political efforts in Congress and many states to reduce or eliminate abortion services.  Their tactics include freezing abortion providers out of federally supported programs — even though the programs themselves do not provide abortion services.

“These elected officials are clearly out of the mainstream and pursing extreme proposals that Americans don’t want.

“Americans’ attitudes on abortion are consistent and unambiguous: a strong majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade and want to see it upheld, and this consensus has not eroded in recent years.

“We should all embrace the common goal of reducing unintended pregnancies and ensuring that women have the ability to make their own decisions about their families, their futures and their health without government interference.”

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate nearly 800 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.