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Denying family planning services for religious reasons

Sorry for the delayed posting this morning-- the big storm knocked out my Internet.

Here's an interesting poll: The group Catholics for Choice commissioned a survey to find out whether Americans think that religious-affiliated institutions should be able to avoid providing family-planning-related health care benefits (like free contraception) and similar services based on religious beliefs.

The poll results indicate that a high percentage of Americans don't like the idea of religious or conscience exemptions. If the poll is accurate, this would appear to be a blow to those objecting to the contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act.

Is the poll accurate? I leave that to the reader, although I am generally skeptical of polls commissioned by an advocacy group. They polled enough people (the margin of error is +/- 3%, and the results are outside the margin of error). The questions that they used are contained in the report, so you can read them and decide if they might push the respondents one way or the other.

The major concern about the poll I have, ironically, is how high the percentages are against doctors, pharmacists, and organizations denying some sort of care based on religious conscience. The poll is almost too successful in making the point of Catholics for Choice. So it makes me skeptical, especially because a high percentage of people who self-identify as 'pro-life' and/or against abortion would have to agree with the Catholics for Choice perspective in order for the poll results to be accurate.

Take a look and let me know what you think!

Links:

Memo (pdf) summarizing poll results on Catholics for Choice web site (October 23, 2012): American attitudes on religious exemptions

Article in The Sacramento Bee (October 25, 2012): New Poll: Americans oppose using religion to deny reproductive health services

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