Most Americans Favor Availability of Abortion Pill
More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed. These latest figures come from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey conducted May 1-24.
Key Findings and Trends
- 63% favor having the pill available in the U.S. with a prescription.
- 41% of Republicans vs. 86% of Democrats favor protecting access.
- Support is higher than in 2000, when the issue was last in public focus.
Historical Context of FDA Approval
In late 2000, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the pill, 50% of Americans supported the decision and 44% were opposed. Earlier that year, Gallup found more Americans opposed (47%) than in favor (39%) of making the drug available by prescription.
Legal Challenges and Judicial Decisions
A federal judge in Texas recently reversed the FDA’s 2000 approval. The decision was appealed, and the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the pill to remain available in the U.S. pending the legal appeals.
Public Opinion and Reproductive Health
Support for making mifepristone available coincides with elevated support for women’s access to reproductive health choices since the overturn of the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision. These data also coincide with Americans identifying as pro-choice at a historically elevated rate, likely a reaction to the Dobbs decision and coinciding with a period when the abortion issue is back at the center of U.S. politics in a way it hasn’t been for decades.
The 63% in favor of having mifepristone available via prescription is similar to the level of support in favor of legal abortions in the first trimester, as well as opposition to bans on abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Comparison of Support for Abortion Pill Availability
- Current Support (2024): 63% Favor / 30%+ Opposed
- Late 2000 (Post-FDA Approval): 50% Favor / 44% Opposed
- Early 2000 (Pre-FDA Approval): 39% Favor / 47% Opposed