Two-thirds in new poll say abortion pill should remain available

Two-thirds of Americans in a new poll released Tuesday said that mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, should remain on the market.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll found 66 percent supported keeping it on the market, while 24 percent supported taking the medication off the market.

Among those who said mifepristone should remain available, 72 percent said access should remain the same as it is now. Another 18 percent said it should be more restricted, the poll found.

The poll comes as mifepristone remains at the center of a legal battle after a Texas federal judge last month suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) 23-year-old approval of the medication.

The Supreme Court put the ruling on hold as the Biden administration appeals the decision, leaving access to mifepristone unchanged for the time being.

Another 66 percent in Tuesday’s poll said they opposed the high court’s decision last June to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to abortion, with 54 percent saying they strongly opposed the decision.

More than three-fourths — 78 percent — also said the decision of whether a woman can have an abortion should be left to the woman and her doctor, while 18 percent said it should be regulated by law.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted between April 28 and May 3 with 1,006 adults responding. The survey had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.