A new national poll by CRC Research is filled with helpful insights that reveal pro-choice and pro-life Americans alike hold significant concerns about the easy availability and lack of regulation of abortion pills, particularly regarding mail‑order access and the absence of in‑person medical oversight.
As AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis said in a statement, “It’s overwhelmingly clear that Americans support reinstating the in-person dispensing requirement to protect women taking mifepristone. 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.”
Here are some key insights from the poll.
Majority Oppose Current FDA Policy—Including Women and a Significant Share of Democrats
A majority of Americans, spanning gender and party lines, oppose the current lack of safeguards for abortion pills, which allows pills to be prescribed online and delivered by mail without an in‑person medical evaluation, ID check, or pregnancy or gestational age verification.
More than a third of Democrats also expressed opposition, indicating that this concern isn’t limited to one political party.
Overwhelming Support for Reinstating In‑Person Dispensing Requirements
The poll’s second major finding is striking: more than two‑thirds of respondents support restoring the in‑person dispensing requirement for abortion pills. This includes a majority of self‑identified liberal voters, suggesting broad appeal for reinstating medical safeguards.
The trend continues across additional questions. Seventy percent of respondents, again spanning gender, party, and ideology, believe women should receive in‑person follow‑up visits after taking abortion medication.
Together, these results point to strong national sentiment favoring direct medical involvement in the process (something that AAPLOG has led the way in asking the FDA to do).
Concerns About Coercion Matter, But Not as Much as Medical Oversight
The poll also asked whether concerns about coerced abortion influenced respondents’ views. While coercion was seen as a meaningful factor, results suggest that voters place even greater emphasis on ensuring women receive proper medical care. Of course, forced abortions are a significant issue which are being facilitated by the FDA’s reckless removal of the in-person dispensing requirement (learn more about two instances of coerced abortions on our podcast with Catherine Pressly Herring and Rosalie Markezich).
No matter the decision a woman makes, all patients deserve excellent healthcare and informed consent, a sentiment that’s seemingly shared among most Americans and AAPLOG.
Broad Support for Ending Online Ordering and Mail Distribution
Many Americans, including nearly half of Democrats and liberals, support ending the online ordering and mail distribution of abortion pills altogether.
This reinforces the broader trend that most Americans want a return to a more regulated system that prioritizes in‑person medical evaluation and oversight.
Implications for Lawmakers: Voters Paying Attention
For Republican and independent voters, the political impact could be significant. The survey shows that majorities in both groups would be less likely to support a legislator who opposes reinstating in‑person dispensing requirements, a finding with potentially meaningful electoral implications. Even among Democrats, a non‑trivial share indicated the same.
While there are many politicians who believe abortion regulation is a losing issue, this poll challenges that notion, showing that this is an issue worth addressing seriousness and urgency.
Even With More Pro‑Choice Respondents, Support for Regulation Remains Strong
Perhaps most notable is the survey’s demographic profile, with more respondents identified as pro‑choice than pro‑life. Despite that, support for reinstating in‑person dispensing requirements remained overwhelming.
This suggests that concerns about medical evaluation, safety, and oversight resonate broadly, even among those who generally support legal abortion.
