Seventy-two percent of Russians are against a total ban on abortion, which is three percent more than last year, a poll published by the state-run pollster VTsIOM revealed on Tuesday. Only eighteen percent of respondents – same amount as in 2015 – believe such a ban should be instituted, the study showed.
The number of Russians that are against excluding abortion from the state-funded health insurance, has also grown from 59 percent in 2015 to 70 percent in 2016. At the same time, the number of people who think that abortion should not be a state-funded procedure, lowered from 25 percent in 2015 to 21 percent in 2016.
Nine percent of female respondents said they had an abortion. More than half of the respondents – 51 percent – believe that poor financial conditions are the main reason why women resort to abortion.
The poll was conducted between Oct. 15 and 16 in 46 Russian regions among 1,600 respondents. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5 percent.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
