By Gudrun Schultz
LOS ANGELES, United States, March 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A recent U.S. poll shows a clear majority of Americans believe abortion ends a human life.
The poll was designed to gauge the climate towards abortion rights among the U.S. population. Conducted by pollster John Zogby, 30,117 respondents in 48 states were questioned in the poll March 10-14, 2006. The results are considered accurate to within +/- 0.6 percentage points.
The results showed the majority of respondents indicated a pro-life position. On 16 of the 20 questions relating to abortion, the clear majority of answers were anti-abortion.
When questioned on whether or not abortion ends a human life, almost two thirds of Americans said yes (59%). Only 29% said abortion did not end a human life.
A majority said they agree with laws restricting access to abortion. Over half (55%) support parental notification laws for girls 18 years old and younger. Over two thirds (69%) agree with parental notification laws for girls 16 and under. Only 36% and 23% disagree, respectively.
55% agree with required counselling about other options before a mother has an abortion, and 56% agree with a 24-hour waiting period.
Over two thirds of Americans (69%) say the federal government should not fund abortions in other countries. 21% disagree. Just over half (51%) do not think the federal or state government should finance abortions for poor women.
64% want a law that would see a person who killed a pregnant woman charged with two murders. Only 23% do not agree.
Almost all Americans (86%) say abortion because of the sex of the baby should be illegal. 10% disagree.
Half of the population believe life begins at conception – only 19% believe life begins at birth. Half of the population want to see a new federal ban on partial-birth abortions. 39% do not.
Despite the strong support for protecting the unborn and placing restrictions on abortion access, the nation is split on the question of the constitutionality of abortion. 45 percent say abortion should not be a constitutional right, and 46 percent say it should be.