Most Americans Say Reversal of Roe v. Wade Has Harmed the Country, Threatened Women's Health, New Poll Finds

Most Americans say the reversal of Roe v. Wade has harmed the country and made access to abortion even harder than they expected, according to a just-released CBS News Poll.

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's stunning repeal of a landmark 1973 decision that made abortion a federally protected right.

Since the 2022 ruling, most citizens feel that decision has become a bad thing for the country and has increasingly threatened the rights and health of women.

Six out of 10 women surveyed felt their legal rights have suffered, as well as their health. More than 50% said being pregnant is more dangerous because of rigid new state laws drastically curtailing the medical procedure in instances where the mother's health is endangered or the fetus has a debilitating genetic defect.

On the other side are Republicans, evangelicals and conservatives, the majority of which say the reversal has been good for America, citing protection of fetuses.

Democrats, who overwhelmingly opposed striking down Roe v. Wade, have also announced the launching of a major national campaign to publicize a woman's right to choose abortion.

The Democratic National Committee said an advertising initiative will begin Thursday, with billboards in New York's Times Square, as well as the pivotal cities of Atlanta, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Tallahassee and Raleigh in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

The billboards say President Joe Biden is "fighting for a woman's right to choose!"

Social media ads will also appear on Twitter and Instagram.

The survey also found that 51% of women who live in states where abortion is strictly limited said their home states are more restrictive than they would like.

The CBS News/YouGov poll was conducted from June 14 to June 17, within a nationally representative sample of 2,145 adult residents. 

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