Poll: Reproductive Care

This Navigator Research report contains polling data on whether it should be easier or harder to access reproductive care, support for proposals to increase access to and affordability of birth control, and how important Americans view federal action to protect abortion rights.

Large majorities say reproductive care like birth control pills and IVF should be made easier to access, including majorities of Republicans.

Majorities of Americans believe that reproductive care, including birth control, IVF, the abortion pill, and in-clinic abortions should be easier to access. Three in four Americans say access to birth control pills should be easier to access (74 percent), including three in five who say it should be “much” easier to access (63 percent); only 5 percent believe it should be more difficult to access. Three in five Americans similarly say access to fertility planning like IVF, should be made easier to access (62 percent), including a plurality who say it should be “much” easier to access (45 percent); just 7 percent think it should be more difficult to access. Majorities of Americans also believe access to abortion, including the abortion pill and in-clinic abortions, should be easier to access (53 percent and 51 percent, respectively). Women are even more supportive of increasing access to care, including making it easier to access birth control pills (80 percent), fertility planning like IVF (70 percent), the abortion pill (57 percent), and in-clinic abortions (56 percent). 

• A majority of Americans believe access to birth control pills should be “much” easier to access, including Democrats (73 percent “much” easier to access), independents (63 percent “much” easier to access), and Republicans (52 percent “much” easier to access).
• Americans across party lines also say access to fertility planning like IVF should be easier to access, including 72 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents, and 53 percent of Republicans. Three in five Americans living in states with restrictions on abortion since Roe was overturned also say fertility planning should be easier to access (61 percent).

Proposals aimed at increasing access to and affordability of birth control are popular across party lines.

By a 62-point margin, Americans support making birth control pills available over-the-counter without a prescription, following the FDA’s approval (78 percent support – 16 percent oppose). Support comes from more than four in five Democrats (86 percent), three in four independents (76 percent), and seven in ten Republicans (71 percent). 

• Four in five Americans also support “a proposal to strengthen access to birth control pills under the Affordable Care Act so anyone with private health insurance can get birth control pills with no out-of-pocket costs” (net +67; 80 percent support – 13 percent oppose), including nine in ten Democrats (90 percent), nearly four in five independents (78 percent), and seven in ten Republicans (70 percent). 88 percent of Americans under the age of 35 and 85 percent of women also support this proposal.

Nearly seven in ten Americans want federal action to protect abortion access this year.

68 percent of Americans say it is important for President Biden and Congress to take federal action to protect abortion access this year, including a plurality who say it is “very” important (43 percent). Two in three Democrats (66 percent), a majority of Black Americans (55 percent), Americans under the age of 35 (52 percent), and Asian American and Pacific Islanders (51 percent) say it is “very” important to them. Seven in ten independents say it is important to them (69 percent), including 39 percent who say it is “very” important. 

• Two in three Americans continue to identify as pro-choice (66 percent), including 85 percent of Democrats, nearly two in three independents (64 percent), and close to half of Republicans (47 percent). Only 30 percent identify as being anti-abortion and more than three in four say the government should stay out of the decision to have an abortion (77 percent).