[Press Release] IFOP poll: the French and Abortion

On October 8^th, the French National Assembly will meet to discuss the bill tabled by the minority party EDS (Ecology, Democracy, Solidarity) which would extend the current legal deadline for abortion from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy and would also abolish the conscience clause for health professionals.

In view of this event, an IFOP survey was conducted for Alliance VITA to expose what French citizens really expect about abortion.

• the majority of the French (51%) are upset about the fact that 232,200 abortions were performed in 2019 compared to 753,000 live births because abortion is something women had rather not do.
• 92% believe that women experience long-term post-abortion psychological consequences, and 73% think that society should provide more assistance to help preventing abortions.
• 84% are in favor of including detailed information on the different types of assistance for pregnant women and young mothers in the official information leaflet provided for pregnant women when they consult for an abortion.
• And finally, 88% believe the government should start a genuine abortion prevention policy and evaluate the causes, conditions and consequences of this act.

Caroline Roux, Alliance VITA’s Assistant General Delegate declares:

“These polls have been conducted on many occasions over the past 20 years, with the last one carried out in 2016. These latest results from the IFOP poll confirm that French citizens, especially women, are expecting the exact opposite of what the new bill is trying to force-feed us. Nonetheless, any notion of preventing abortion has been totally vetoed by the minority group of MPs who tabled the bill. However, those who are aware that abortion is not without consequences, are calling for real solidarity to help women avoid abortion. It is also to be noted that there are significantly more women than men who are requesting this solidarity. From our experience of listening to pregnant women facing a difficult or unexpected pregnancy, we have observed that they are frequently reluctant to continue their pregnancy due to pressure from men. For these reasons, and in agreement with the vast majority surveyed, we are calling on the government to conduct an in-depth study on the causes and consequences of abortion in order to implement a genuine abortion prevention policy. It is absolutely irresponsible to make access to abortion easier without any reflection on other options and without reliable data. Starting an abortion prevention policy is long overdue.”