Poll Watch: PPP (D) Survey on Birth Control and Catholic Hospitals & Universities

PPP (D) Survey on Birth Control and Catholic Hospitals & Universities

Some people say that institutions such as Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from the requirement that health plans cover prescription birth control with no additional out of pocket costs, because contraception runs counter to Catholic teachings. Other people say that women of all faiths who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women. Which view do you agree with -- Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control, or that women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women?

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 57%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 39%

Among Democrats

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 76%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 23%

Among Republicans

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 38%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 58%

Among Independents

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 56%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 39%

Among Catholics

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 53%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 45%

Among Catholic Democrats

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 73%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 24%

Among Republican Catholics

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 27%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 72%

Among Independent Catholics

• Women who are employed by Catholic hospitals and universities should have the same rights to contraceptive coverage as other women 60%
• Catholic hospitals and universities should be exempted from covering prescription birth control 39%

National survey of 1,085 registered voters was conducted on behalf of Planned Parenthood February 3-5, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3.0 percentage points. An oversample of 359 Catholic voters was conducted and the margin of error for that group is +/- 5.2 percentage points.

Inside the numbers:

A solid 56 percent majority of voters support the decision to require health plans to cover prescription birth control with no additional out-of-pocket fees, while only 37 percent are opposed. It’s particularly noteworthy that pivotal independent voters support this benefit by a 55/36 margin; in fact, a majority of voters in every racial, age, and religious category that we track express support. In particular, a 53 percent majority of Catholic voters, who were oversampled as part of this poll, favor the benefit, including fully 62 percent of Catholics who identify themselves as independents.

A lot more Republicans (36%) support it than Democrats (20%) oppose it. Women are for it by a 63/29 margin.

Republican agitating on this issue could cause themselves trouble at the polls this year. 40% of voters say Mitt Romney's stance makes them less likely to vote for him, while only 23% consider it a positive. With the Catholic oversample it's 46% less likely and 28% more likely. And Congressional Republicans are imperiling themselves as well. 58% of voters oppose them trying to take the benefit away, including 56 percent of independents, while only 33% are supportive.