WASHINGTON — Relatively few Americans fully endorse the idea that a fertilized egg should have the same rights as a pregnant woman. But a significant share say it describes their views at least somewhat well, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The new survey comes as questions grow around reproductive health access in the continued fallout from the decision by the Supreme Court to end federal abortion protections. The poll found that a solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban as a rising number support access to abortions for any reason.
But anti-abortion advocates are increasingly pushing for broader measures that would give rights and protections to embryos and fetuses, which could have massive implications for fertility treatments and other areas of health care.
The poll suggests that when it comes to more nuanced questions about issues like in vitro fertilization, or IVF — which may be affected by the restrictive climate in some states, even though they were not previously considered as part of ''abortion'' — there is general support for reproductive health protections. But the poll also shows some uncertainty, as Americans are faced with situations that would not have arisen before Roe v. Wade was overturned.
According to the poll, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to IVF, a type of fertility treatment where eggs are combined with sperm outside the body in a lab to form an embryo. Views on banning the destruction of embryos created through IVF are less developed, with 4 in 10 adults expressing a neutral opinion.
''I believe that it's a woman's right to determine what she wants to do with her pregnancy, and she should be cared for. There should be no question about that,'' said John Evangelista, 73. ''And IVF, I mean, for years, it's saved a lot of people grief — because they want to have a child. Why would you want to limit this for people?''
Earlier this year, Alabama's largest hospital paused in vitro fertilization treatments, following a court ruling that said frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children. Not long after, the governor signed legislation shielding doctors from potential legal liability in order to restart procedures in the state.
But the political damage was done. Democrats routinely cite IVF concerns as part of a larger problem where women in some states are getting worse medical care since the fall of Roe. They link delayed IVF care to cases in states with abortion restrictions, where women must wait until they are very sick in order to get care. Democrats say these issues show how GOP efforts to overturn Roe have profoundly affected all facets of reproductive care.
