Anti-abortion poll shows opposition to abortion

A poll carried out on behalf of anti-abortion group Life claims that ‘the great majority of women are opposed to attempts to liberalise the law on abortion’. 

Six out of ten are against plans to make it easier to get abortion early in a pregnancy by cutting the number of doctors who must give their approval from two to one, claims the poll. And three out of four want to see a scheme to allow nurses to perform abortions alone and without doctors blocked, the Daily Mail reports

The poll was taken by ComRes on behalf of Life among 1,001 adults by telephone at the beginning of September. 

According to this poll, nearly nine out of ten women agree that abortion ‘has very serious consequences for the health of women’. Eight in ten think it is better for women to be persuaded to accept alternatives than to go through with an abortion, and more than seven out of ten women say abortion that is too easily available ‘cheapens the value of young life’.

The survey also found nine out of ten women want doctors to be legally obliged to offer counselling and alternatives to abortion for pregnant women seeking a termination. Eight out of ten said abortion law should be regularly reviewed to keep up with changes in our understanding of how babies develop.

Labour MP Jim Dobbin, chairman of the all-party parliamentary pro-life group, said:

‘The survey shows changes in attitudes out there among the general public that mirror what I feel is happening politically. I have started to hear changed views from members of my own party who have traditionally been pro-choice. Gradually people are starting to think about these issues in some depth.

‘It is significant that an opinion poll commissioned in the run-up to the 40th anniversary shows that, rather than becoming desensitised, the public are becoming increasingly concerned about abortion and the numbers of abortions, which have risen year on year.’

However, responses in the poll differ from recent polls on abortion carried out by IPSOS MORI and GFK/NOP which show strong support for legal abortion.

Ann Furedi, Chief Executive of BPAS, said:

‘With any abortion poll from any source, it’s important to study the questions alongside the information that respondents were offered. It’s important to ensure that any conclusions drawn are justified from people’s answers. Many of the questions in this poll seem to misrepresent the reality of how abortion is provided.’

For example, in arriving at the finding reported by the Daily Mail that nearly nine out of ten women agree that abortion ‘has very serious consequences for the health of women’, respondents were asked which of two statements best reflected their view of abortion: ‘It’s perfectly reasonable for abortion to be regarded as just another form of contraception’ , or ‘Abortion has very serious consequences both for the health of women and the unborn, and should be regarded as a last resort if indeed it’s used at all.’

Women say No to bid to ease the law on abortion. Daily Mail, 13 September 2007

Read the Life poll findings in full.

Poll shows majority support for legal abortion. Abortion Review, 28 November 2006

Campaign for a modern abortion law launched as poll confirms overwhelming public support. Abortion Rights website, 8 March 2007