Survey: More than 8 in 10 Texas women have inaccurate knowledge of abortion ban exceptions

[entremet]

So basically, a rather big majority of Texan women don't know that abortion is basically outlawed there, including in most "rational" exceptions.

Crazy!

How is this possible? Propaganda, Facebook, Poor local news coverage? My mind boggles.

Man, the US is a mess when it comes to news access. 73 percent is going to cover women from various stripes of the political spectrum.

Texas women of reproductive age have significant gaps in knowledge regarding the state's near-total abortion ban — which prohibits terminating pregnancies unless the life of the mother is in danger — with more than 8 in 10 lacking an accurate understanding of what medical exceptions are allowed under the law, according to recently released results of a survey by Austin-based collaborative Resound Research for Reproductive Health.

One-third of the 763 respondents in the poll, or 32%, incorrectly believed that victims of rape and incest can legally get an abortion in Texas. Nearly 25% falsely believed that the abortion ban does not apply to pregnant patients facing fatal fetal diagnoses.

Furthermore, 73% of the survey respondents were unaware that clinics in the state cannot terminate pregnancies, according to the survey results released March 21.And a minority of respondents, or 43%, said they knew it was legal in Texas for pregnant people to get an abortion if they have a life-threatening medical

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For those unaware the Texas law has basically no exceptions:

This law, like the state's "trigger law," makes no exceptions for rape, incest or fatal fetal diagnoses. Both were passed by the majority-Republican Legislature and signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021.

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Survey: More than 8 in 10 Texas women have inaccurate knowledge of abortion ban exceptions

Texas women of reproductive age have significant knowledge gaps regarding the state's near-total abortion ban, a recent survey has found.

www.statesman.com

The TLDR:

"Our research shows that many Texans think abortion care is still legally available under a broader set of circumstances than it currently is," Dr. Samuel Dickman, a researcher at the City University of New York's Research Foundation and the chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Montana, said in a news release.

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[RobotHaus]

Misinformation and lack of education on important social issues is a red state? I'm shocked!

But I sincerely hope something happens soon reverse all this damage done, though it will take a while for it to recover.

 

[entremet]

Misinformation and lack of education on important social issues is a red state? I'm shocked!

But I sincerely hope something happens soon reverse all this damage done, though it will take a while for it to recover.

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8 out of 10 is a lot. It's going to cover liberal women, and women of varying educational attainment, as well.

 

[iksenpets]

My guess is to a lot of people, people have been yelling about abortion forever, so they tune it out, and don't realize the extent of the changes until either they, or someone they know closely enough to share something so intimate is directly affected. Most people aren't going to personally know someone who needed an abortion in the past two years, and so at most they've seen news reports that they tune out. Seems part of the larger problem that people assume accurate descriptions of Republican policy must be inaccurate because they sound so crazy, unless they've been personally impacted.

80% is crazy high though, in a way I kind of wonder if the questions are designed to ask about a lot of very specific situations in a way where most people will miss at least one, and can be labeled as inaccurate

 

[Wrighteous86]

This is all according to the Republican playbook. It's one of the reasons they constantly vilify education, mainstream media, and experts.

 

[entremet]

This is all according to the Republican playbook. It's one of the reasons they constantly vilify education, mainstream media, and experts.

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Yeah, we saw it with IVF. Complete ignorance.

I also blame the nationalization of media. People watch mainstream national news, including propaganda outlets like Fox, over following local news. Local news is very important. But it is also under attack too.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

It's not a big deal until it directly affects you I assume is the logic there

 

[Gernau Morat Gurgeh]

That's terrifying and also goes a long way to explaining why people so consistantly vote against their own interests

 

[ShadBy]

Because despite all facts to the contrary its actually pretty difficult to convince people that, actually, you did get a fundamental right taken away from you that your fellow citizens enjoyed for the past 50+ years. People don't think its "real" (i.e. no exceptions, no limited time period, NOTHING) because its so outlandish that this happened.

 

[fade]

This is all according to the Republican playbook. It's one of the reasons they constantly vilify education, mainstream media, and experts.

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Flood the zone with shit.

 

[makonero]

Because despite all facts to the contrary its actually pretty difficult to convince people that, actually, you did get a fundamental right taken away from you that your fellow citizens enjoyed for the past 50+ years. People don't think its "real" (i.e. no exceptions, no limited time period, NOTHING) because its so outlandish that this happened.

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Yeah, this is it. It's not affecting them right this moment so they aren't aware of the true impact of the total ban.

 

[entremet]

Yeah, this is it. It's not affecting them right this moment so they aren't aware of the true impact of the total ban.

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There have been a few horror stories, but they're difficult to cover due to HIPAA, ironically enough.

Also, it's the same gun rights playbook. Don't bring up abortion. Pray for the families. It's a tragedy and all those empty platitudes.

Did an Abortion Ban Cost a Young Texas Woman Her Life?

As many conservatives hail the fall of Roe for saving unborn lives, high-risk pregnancy becomes even more perilous.

www.newyorker.com

 

[Sadire]

Getting a fundamental right (and at that a significant chuck of personal freedom) taken away and not being aware of it sounds pretty bad.

And if the time ever comes for them to be confronted by this very fact they'll get to direct their anger at the wrong people.


All according to keikaku*?

*Keikaku means plan.

 

[JSRF]

Because despite all facts to the contrary its actually pretty difficult to convince people that, actually, you did get a fundamental right taken away from you that your fellow citizens enjoyed for the past 50+ years. People don't think its "real" (i.e. no exceptions, no limited time period, NOTHING) because its so outlandish that this happened.

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A lot of people also just think that the system will work out for them when they need it to. There are a lot of people who just sort of think that what makes sense to them is what the laws are.

 

[Horns]

Read something on Reddit from a teacher in Texas that described high school students lack of understanding of sex education. Tldr they knew almost nothing. This is not surprising.

 

[makonero]

A lot of people also just think that the system will work out for them when they need it to. There are a lot of people who just sort of think that what makes sense to them is what the laws are.

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yep and then they're shocked and putt raged to discover that no, there isn't an exception for them

 

[Naijaboy]

There have been a few horror stories, but they're difficult to cover due to HIPAA, ironically enough.

Also, it's the same gun rights playbook. Don't bring up abortion. Pray for the families. It's a tragedy and all those empty platitudes.

Did an Abortion Ban Cost a Young Texas Woman Her Life?

As many conservatives hail the fall of Roe for saving unborn lives, high-risk pregnancy becomes even more perilous.

www.newyorker.com

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In the Boys State film based in Texas most people in that group though background checks were a thing when they haven't been at all. And you have to assume most of those boys are at least fairly knowledgeable with politics.

We can't assume a majority know what's happening.

 

[Pirateluigi]

In the Boys State film based in Texas most people in that group though background checks were a thing when they haven't been at all. And you have to assume most of those boys are at least fairly knowledgeable with politics.

We can't assume a majority know what's happening.

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I did Boys State. That is not a safe assumption.

In general, most people are incredibly ignorant of politics, even those that are interested in it as a topic.

 

[Arttemis]

Yeah, we saw it with IVF. Complete ignorance.

I also blame the nationalization of media. People watch mainstream national news, including propaganda outlets like Fox, over following local news. Local news is very important. But it is also under attack too.

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What local news? Such a huge portion of local TV and radio News stations have been bought out by Sinclair and other right wing propagandists.

 

[entremet]

What local news? Such a huge portion of local TV and radio News stations have been bought out by Sinclair and other right wing propagandists.

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Oh right. Forgot about the Sinclair monopoly.

It's even worse!