A recent poll released by the Knights of Columbus found that the majority of Americans support at least some level of protections for preborn children from abortion.
The poll, which was conducted with the Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College, found that 66% of respondents believe that “limits should be placed on when abortion is allowed,” while 33% said they believe that “abortion should be allowed without any limits.”
Two-thirds of respondents also believe that healthcare professionals with objections to abortion should be granted religious exemptions, while 86% of respondents said they believe laws can protect both the mother and her preborn child.
Of the 1,371 survey respondents, 58% said they were pro-choice, while 40% said they consider themselves pro-life. These results seem to support the idea that a significant percentage of even self-identified “pro-choice” individuals favor restrictions on abortion.
According to the poll, 37% of self-identified Democrats believe abortion should be “allowed only during the first three months of a pregnancy… only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother … [or] should never be permitted under any circumstance.” Sixty percent (60%) of Independents felt this way, as did 85% of Republicans.
Screenshot: K of C Marist Poll 2024
Additionally, an overwhelming 83% of respondents said they support the work of pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) which assist pregnant women and families. These pro-life centers offer a variety of services including private medical consultation, pregnancy testing, STD testing, ultrasounds, and maternity and baby items. One report from the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that these centers have offered $358 million in services since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Despite this, and the obvious assistance PRCs offer to women and families in need, many politicians have vilified these charitable centers in the wake of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision.
“Once again, most Americans are steadfast in their belief that abortion should be significantly limited yet laws should include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” Barbara Carvalho, the director of the Marist Poll, said in a statement. “This clear trend found in the annual Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll has continued, nearly two years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision.” It should be noted, however, that it is not medically necessary to intentionally and directly kill a preborn child to save a mother’s life; instead, there are medical treatments which are the standard of care for both patients (mother and child)
Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly highlighted the positive response toward PRCs.
“This year’s poll makes clear that a consistent consensus of Americans supports legal restrictions on abortion, and an overwhelming majority support pregnancy resource centers, which assist mothers and their children in greatest need,” Kelly said in a statement.
“I’m very proud that our Knights across the U.S. and Canada have raised more than $7 million to support these vital centers through our ASAP, or Aid and Support After Pregnancy program,” he added.
“Knights have also funded the purchase of over 1,790 ultrasounds, empowering an estimated 1.5 million mothers to see their unborn babies. The Knights of Columbus will continue to work tirelessly in our mission until abortion becomes unthinkable.”
