Americans Divided on Role Brands Should Play in Reproductive Rights

A recent study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Fast Company found that while the majority of U.S. adults support abortion access, they are split regarding the laws that protect it and regarding the part brands should play in the reproductive rights debate. The study also found that employer stances on abortion access do not affect where a notable portion American employees decide to work.

The majority of U.S. adults support abortion access, but there is less consensus regarding the laws protecting it. 

Reproductive rights and the abortion debate are familiar topics, and most Americans express some support for abortion access.

Prior to the time of survey, nine in ten (86%) U.S. adults claimed to be at least somewhat familiar with the abortion debate while 14% said they were not familiar with the debate. Half of all U.S. adults (52%) personally support abortion access in the U.S. while 30% oppose abortion access, and another 14% neither support nor oppose abortion access.*

Support decreases among those who say they were not familiar with the abortion debate prior to the time of this study (35%). However, regardless of one’s familiarity with the debate, opposition levels to abortion access remains consistent (26% of those not familiar with the debate before the study vs. 31% of those familiar with the debate before the study).

Wavering support levels are likely a reflection of the complexity of the topic. The same likely can be said for those who currently have no opinion on abortion access. Compared to 12% of those who were familiar with the abortion debate before this study, 28% of those who were not familiar with the debate before this study say they neither support nor oppose abortion access.

Currently, half (52%) of all adults who were familiar with the abortion debate prior to the time of survey report that their opinion on the topic has not changed over time — potentially an illustration of how ingrained the debate is in American political culture. That said, three in ten (28%) of this same group report that they now support abortion access more while another 19% now support it less. 

Interactions with those who have had an abortion may also play a role in support for abortion access. More than half of all adults (54%) say someone they know personally has had an abortion. Of this group, 60% say they support abortion access in the U.S. This is eight points higher than all adults, and 18 points higher than those who do not personally know someone that has had an abortion.

Moving beyond personal views, overall, two thirds (63%) of U.S. adults agree that medically induced abortion services should be accessible to everyone. (It is worth noting the nuance behind this perspective: even though someone agrees these medical services should be available to everyone, it may not mean that the individual personally supports abortion.) A similar number (67%) agree that offering abortion services should not impact a medical provider’s eligibility for federal funding.

Americans remain divided on the future of Roe v. Wade, though most have formed an opinion. Currently, four in ten (41%) U.S. adults who were previously familiar with the abortion debate agree that the Supreme Court should overturn the ruling while 47% disagree.** Again, prior familiarity with the abortion debate plays a role. Among those who were not familiar with the debate prior to the study, this shifts to 40% agreeing to overturn and 24% disagreeing to overturn.

Unsurprisingly, indecision (i.e., those who are “not at all sure” whether they agree with the opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade) remains relatively high for those who were not familiar with the abortion debate prior to this study (36%, compared to 11% of those previously familiar with the debate).

U.S. adults are divided on the role that brands and companies should play when it comes to the reproductive rights debate.

Most adults believe that it is important for brands to take a stand on reproductive rights, regardless of their personal opinion on the subject. Half (54%) of U.S. adults say it is important that the brands or organizations they use take a position on abortion rights. This number remains relatively consistent for both pro-choice Americans (58%) and pro-life Americans (58%).***

In fact, 41% of all adults say it is more important that companies and organizations take a stand on abortion and reproductive rights that on other social issues.

Thinking about their personal experience with brands, six in ten (60%) adults that say brand- and organization-sponsored abortion stances are important to them think the brands they use should support abortion rights. More specifically, a quarter (26%) think these brands should support abortion rights with no exception and one third (34%) think these brands should support abortion rights with some exceptions. 

Four-in-ten (40%) think that the brands and organizations they use should oppose abortion rights. More specifically, a quarter (26%) think these brands should oppose access with some exceptions while 14% think these brands should oppose abortion rights with no exceptions. 

A brand’s stance on reproductive rights could have a significant impact on consumers’ opinion. One third (35%) of U.S. adults say they are more likely to support a brand if it supports abortion rights while only 28% would be more likely to support a brand if it opposed abortion rights.

Unsurprisingly, more than half (55%) of pro-choice respondents say they are more likely to support brands that support abortion access (with 30% being much more likely to do so). Similarly, six in ten (58%) pro-life respondents say they are more likely to support brands that oppose abortion access (with 36% being much more likely to do so).

Reproductive rights do not significantly impact where Americans are willing to work. 

When making decisions about where to work, a notable portion of working Americans say an employer’s stance on reproductive rights does not matter to them. Just under half (45%) of non-retired U.S. adults report that it is important that their current or future employer take a position on abortion rights. Importance climbs to 52% for pro-choice individuals (versus 43% for pro-life respondents). 

This middling support is reinforced by the fact that only 36% of non-retired adults who currently work or have plans to work in the future agree they would leave their current or future employer if it did not take any position on abortion access.

A third (34%) of non-retired U.S. adults who currently work or have plans to work in the future say they would be more likely to work for a company if it supports abortion rights. Comparatively, only 22% say they would be less likely to work for a company with those views.

On the other hand, only 25% of non-retired U.S. adults who currently work or have plans to work in the future say they would be more likely to work for a company if it opposes abortion rights while 31% would be less likely to do the same.

Regardless of the stance the employer takes on abortion, employees most often say companies should use the tools of healthcare coverage and education to reinforce their stance.

Among those who think it is important for their employer to have a position on abortion rights, 65% say their employer should support abortion rights. For these employees, they prefer their employer support abortion rights by including coverage for prescription birth control (51%) and medically induced abortion services (39%) in employee healthcare plans. Roughly a third (38%) believe employers should support education initiatives that teach in support of abortion access or encourage general education about abortion in schools (33%).

Conversely, among those who think it is important for their employer to have a position on abortion rights, 35% say their employer should support abortion rights. Many of these employees prefer their employer oppose abortion rights by restricting coverage for medically induced abortion services (38%) and prescription birth control (31%) in employee healthcare plans. Two out of five also say their employers should support education initiatives that teach against abortion access (43%).

Political donations by employers are relatively less popular. For employees who say their employer’s abortion stance is important to them — regardless of whether they think their employer should support or oppose abortion access — only 29% say their employer should reinforce their position with financial contributions to political candidates that share their views.

However, donations directly to organizations that share the same views as the employer are viewed more favorably. Forty-one percent of those who think their employer should support abortion access and 32% of those who think their employer should oppose abortion access say that their employer should donate to organizations that share the company’s views on abortion.

Research Notes

*Support for abortion access is defined as the net grouping of those who answered “support with no exceptions” or “support with some exceptions” when asked “How much do you support or oppose abortion access in the United States?”. Opposition to abortion access is defined as the net grouping of those who answered “oppose with some exceptions” or “oppose with no exceptions” when asked “How much do you support or oppose abortion access in the United States?”.

**Before expressing whether they agree Roe v. Wade should be overturned, respondents were presented with the following information: “The Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade (1973) established that the Constitution protects a woman’s legal right to medically induced abortion prior to the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb. According to the Court’s ruling: During the first trimester, the decision to terminate a pregnancy is only the woman’s decision. After the first trimester, the state may regulate, but not outlaw, the woman’s access to medically induced abortion. After the second trimester, the state may regulate or outlaw medically induced abortions, except when necessary to ensure the woman’s health.” Respondents were then asked “Given this information, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
‘The U.S. Supreme Court should overturn the decision of Roe v Wade.'” Agreement is the net grouping of those who answered “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree.” Disagreement is the net grouping of those who answered “strongly disagree” or “somewhat disagree.”

***”Pro-choice” is defined as the net grouping of those who answered “support with no exceptions” or “support with some exceptions” when asked “How much do you support or oppose abortion access in the United States?”. “Pro-life” is defined as the net grouping of those who answered “oppose with some exceptions” or “oppose with no exceptions” when asked “How much do you support or oppose abortion access in the United States?”.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Fast Company during January 21-24, 2022, among 1,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the U.S. population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. For more information, please contact Dami Rosanwo, Madelyn Franz, or Andrew Laningham.