FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 13, 2020
Contact: Kat Mavengere, 202-641-6184, kmavengere_consultant@nfprha.org
New Poll: A Majority of US Women Support Access to Birth Control During COVID-19 Pandemic, NFPRHA Poll Finds
Three-quarters of adults are concerned about individuals not having access to health insurance
WASHINGTON, DC – As the coronavirus affects communities across the US, a majority of US women believe it’s ‘more essential’ to have access to birth control measures to delay or prevent pregnancy during the pandemic, according to a new poll released today by the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA).
The national Morning Consult poll, Family Planning in the Age of the Coronavirus, shows that a majority of US adults (65%), think now is a bad time for individuals and couples to try to get pregnant, and only five percent of adults would consider it ‘less essential’ for individuals to have that access to birth control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Across age and race, women are more likely than their male counterparts to view birth control measures as ‘more essential’ to prevent or delay pregnancy during a pandemic like the coronavirus. The opinion is most popular among women aged 35-44 (61%) and Black women (68%).
“People of all means and backgrounds need access to high-quality, affordable contraception during this public health crisis,” said Clare Coleman, President & CEO of NFPRHA. “Reproductive health care is a vital health service that is out of reach for millions of individuals, especially with the Trump administration’s unrelenting efforts to chip away at federal family planning funds. Our survey shows a majority of US adults think there should be more access to birth control, not less.”
The survey – released during National Women's Health Week – also reveals that a large majority of US adults are concerned about health insurance access as coronavirus spreads, and about visiting health care providers for non-COVID-19 care. Three-quarters of adults (76%) are concerned about individuals not having access to health insurance generally, and as a result of coronavirus-related layoffs (78%). Eight-in-ten Black adults (79%) and nine-in-ten Democrats (88%) are concerned that millions currently lack health insurance. Two-thirds of Republicans (68%) share the same concern.
And while older women and women of color report more acute concern about going to a health care provider’s office during the coronavirus pandemic, the concerns of younger women and women of color are more focused on accessing family planning care, preventive care, and prescriptions amid the coronavirus. Nearly half (48%) of women 18-34 and half of Black women (47%) share a concern about access to family planning care, and nearly two-thirds of women age 35-44 are concerned about preventive care and wellness visits. The poll reveals nearly seven-in-ten US adults (68%) report concern about going to a health care provider’s office during the coronavirus for non-coronavirus-related needs.
Key findings from the Family Planning in the Age of the Coronavirus poll can be found here. The poll was conducted between April 30 - May 2, 2020, among a national sample of 2,200 US adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of US adults based on age, educational attainment, gender, race, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 2%.
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NFPRHA is a membership organization representing publicly funded family planning providers and administrators nationwide. NFPRHA advances and elevates the importance of family planning in the nation’s health care system and promotes and supports the work of family planning providers and administrators, especially those in the safety net. For more information, visit nationalfamilyplanning.org.