A new national survey finds widespread support for requiring women to see a doctor in person before receiving abortion pills.
The poll, conducted by CRC Research on behalf of the 85 Fund, found that about 70% of Americans support reinstating a requirement that patients receive an in-person medical evaluation before and after taking abortion pills.
The FDA required the policy for years before the Biden administration loosened it during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing abortion drugs like mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and shipped directly to women.
Support for restoring the requirement spans political affiliations, with majorities of Republicans, independents and Democrats backing the change, according to the poll.
Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the findings reflect what doctors see in practice.
“It’s overwhelmingly clear that Americans support reinstating the in-person dispensing requirement to protect women taking mifepristone,” Francis said. “As physicians caring for women and babies every day, we see the devastating impact that the FDA’s relaxed standards are having on women’s health and safety.”
She added that patients “deserve the highest standard of care to protect them from the dangerous health risks, coercion, and abuse that online ordering and mail distribution of mifepristone leaves them vulnerable to.”
The survey also suggests the issue could have political consequences. About 49% of voters said they would be less likely to support a candidate who backs allowing abortion pills to be ordered online and delivered without an in-person evaluation, including majorities of Republicans and a plurality of independents.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said elected officials should take notice.
“Ahead of midterms, pro-life Republicans must act and speak out boldly about stopping the mail-order abortion drug crisis,” Dannenfelser said. “The worst option is to take the ‘ostrich strategy,’ say nothing and hope to deal with the problem down the road, if at all.”
She warned that “sitting on the fence makes no voters happier – it is a sure-fire recipe for avoidable losses this November.”
The survey also found that many voters express safety concerns. Nearly half of the respondents said they are less likely to support the mail distribution of abortion pills after being told that some patients require emergency medical care.
David Bereit, executive director of the Life Leadership Conference, said the results show broad agreement among voters.
“A broad consensus exists around the dangers of mail-order abortion drugs and the risks they pose to women’s health and safety,” Bereit said. “A majority of Americans, across the political spectrum, express serious concern that eliminating in-person medical oversight increases the likelihood of complications, coercion, and undetected abuse.”
He said the findings “point to a clear mandate for the FDA to take action now and restore the commonsense in-person dispensing policy.”
The Food and Drug Administration has faced calls to revisit its policies on abortion drugs, including completing a long-promised safety review.
The online survey of 1,600 likely voters nationwide was conducted March 12-18. Of the 1,600 surveyed, 48% were men and 52% were women; 33% were Republican, 34% Independent, and 32% Democrat.
The poll has a ± 2.45% overall margin of error.