Most women ages 18 to 49 support a federal right to abortion, oppose a federal ban on the procedure and do not believe abortion rights should be left to individual states, according to a new poll by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research, polling and news organization.

A majority of Democratic and independent women oppose restrictions and support legislation enshrining a national abortion right, the poll shows, as do nearly half of Republican women.

The poll, conducted May 15 through June 18, included a nationally representative sample of 3,901 people ages 18 to 49 who identified as women, transgender, nonbinary, or another gender. It found that nearly one in 10 either had difficulty getting an abortion after the Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned or knew someone who had. Nearly two-thirds said they feared abortion bans could endanger the health of their own future pregnancy or that of someone close to them — including nearly 40% of Republican respondents.

“People in general are very concerned about the impact of abortion restrictions and bans on people’s health and safety,” says Usha Ranji, deputy director of women’s health policy at KFF.

The results underscore that while major political parties remain divided on the abortion issue, American women—especially those of childbearing age—are relatively unified on the issue.

They largely oppose the two positions supported by members of the Republican Party: the proposed ban on abortion after 15 weeks promoted by some politicians and former President Donald Trump’s current stance of leaving abortion policy largely to individual states. And they support Vice President Kamala Harris’ preference for national protection of abortion rights.

A person’s political party affiliation also does not have a major impact on whether they have had an abortion more often. The survey found that about 14% of respondents – or about one in seven – have had an abortion in their lifetime. Black and Hispanic respondents were more likely to report having had an abortion than white respondents.

About 8 percent of those who identified as pro-life reported having had an abortion, compared with about 17 percent of those who identified as pro-choice. But the numbers were remarkably similar among Republicans, Democrats and independents: 12 percent, 14 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

“Pregnancy is a normal experience and complications can arise and many pregnant women do not want to be pregnant,” Ranji said. “Abortion is a medical service. It is health care and people from all walks of life have sought and continue to seek abortion services.”

The poll also sheds light on the remarkable change that the repeal of Roe – and the flood of abortion bans that came with it – has made to people’s lives.

About 17% of respondents reported changing their contraceptive habits, such as starting birth control, switching to a more effective method, or stocking up on emergency contraception. Asian, Pacific Islander, Black, and Hispanic respondents were more likely to report changing their attitudes toward birth control than whites.

Of those who said they or someone they know had tried to get an abortion in the past two years, most reported that the person had traveled to another state for treatment.

Income made a difference. About 75% of the financially better off said they or someone they knew had traveled to another state, compared to about 62% of those with lower incomes. (Higher income respondents were considered those earning 200% of the federal poverty level or more; in 2024, that would be $3,407 per month for a two-person household.)

And for many, figuring out how to get an abortion or how to pay for it remains difficult. About one in three who said they or someone they knew had difficulty getting an abortion said that money to pay for the procedure was another barrier. About 40% said they didn’t know where to get help.

The responses of some respondents underscore the difficulty of finding all the resources needed for treatment. When asked why she could not have an abortion, one respondent said it was because she “couldn’t afford the procedure” and that her pregnancy was too far along to afford the money. Another said she could not afford to leave the state. Another wrote, “I lived an hour and a half from town and my ride didn’t come.”

Most respondents were unaware of the legal status of abortion in their state, and nearly a quarter misdescribed their state’s abortion laws. About 26% said they did not know where to go if they needed information about how to get an abortion.

Most respondents knew about medication abortion, which involves two drugs and now accounts for about two-thirds of all abortions. Abortion providers have relied on this method to reach patients in states with abortion bans because medical professionals in states with legal protections can prescribe medications and send them to people in states with restrictions.

This mail-order method accounts for a growing share of abortions performed in the U.S., but the KFF survey suggests that people are significantly less aware of how to get the pills. Only 19 percent knew they could be ordered online in their state, and people with lower incomes were less likely to report knowing about this option. The same was true for black and Hispanic respondents compared to those who identified as white, Asian or Pacific Islander, as well as those who lived in states with abortion bans.

“The information is obviously getting out to some extent, but there are a lot of people who don’t know about it,” Ranji said.

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