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How the issue of abortion touches Americans personally

Pew Research Center: “Americans report a wide variance in how much thought they have given to the issue of abortion personally. Overall, 36% of adults say that prior to taking the survey, they had given “a lot” of thought to issues around abortion. An identical share say they had given “some” thought to the issue, while roughly three-in-ten say they had thought about abortion “not too much” (21%) or “not at all” (8%). Note: The survey was conducted prior to the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion on May 2. Women are more likely than men to say they have given “a lot” of thought to abortion (40% vs. 30%). This gender gap is consistent across age groups and political parties.  Religiously unaffiliated adults are just as likely as those who do identify with a religion to say they have given a lot of thought to issues surrounding abortion (35% and 36%, respectively). Among Christian subgroups, White evangelical Protestants are far more likely than others to say they have thought a lot about abortion (49%). Self-described atheists, however, also stand out: 50% say that prior to taking the survey, they had given a lot of thought to the issue.  Americans who say abortion should be legal or illegal with no exceptions are more likely than those with less absolutist views to say they have thought a lot about the issue. This is especially the case for Americans who say abortion should be illegal in all cases without exception – a clear majority of whom report having given abortion a lot of thought (59%).  Women who say they personally know someone who has had an abortion (or have had one themselves) are particularly likely to say they have given “a lot” of thought to abortion issues (47%). Women who do not know someone who has had an abortion are far less likely to say they have given a lot of thought to the issue (28%). There is a similar gap among men: 38% of men who know someone who has had an abortion say they have thought “a lot” about the issue; this compares with 23% of men who do not know someone who has had an abortion…”

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