• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
A medical lab technologist operates an embryo vitrification during an intra cytoplasmic sperm injection process (ICSI) at a laboratory in Paris Sept. 13, 2019. (OSV News photo/Christian Hartmann, Reuters)

Gallup poll: Majority back birth control, IVF, but almost half see US morality as ‘poor’

July 30, 2024
By Gina Christian
OSV News
Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

New data shows most of the nation views birth control and in vitro fertilization as “morally acceptable,” while extramarital affairs and suicide are regarded as the most “morally wrong” of several behaviors — with close to half the nation regarding overall morality in the U.S. as “poor.”

In a July 30 email, Gallup highlighted results from one of its social series polls, which the firm has been conducting each month since 2001 on key topics. A May values and belief telephone poll taken on a sample of some 1,000 adults aged 18 and older showed that respondents’ moral ratings of 19 behaviors remained stable from prior years.

Frozen human embryos are pictured in a file photo. (OSV News photo/Ian Hodgson)

Issues of human sexuality and reproduction dominated the poll, with birth control endorsed by 90 percent of the respondents and in vitro fertilization by 82 percent.

The birth control question did not distinguish between artificial contraception and fertility-awareness based methods of family planning, sometimes known as natural family planning. The church opposes artificial contraception and IVF both on the basis that these practices separate the unitive, or love-giving, dimension from the procreative, or life-giving, dimension of God’s plan for marriage; the church’s teaching affirms married couples can morally use NFP methods for the sake of responsible parenthood.

Most respondents (69 percent) approved of sex between an unmarried man and woman, and close to an equal number (68 percent) also approved of having a baby outside of marriage. Polygamy and extramarital affairs were both frowned upon, with a respective 74 percent and 86 percent of respondents indicating disapproval.

More than half (54 percent) of those surveyed said abortion was morally acceptable.

Nearly two out of three respondents (63 percent) backed medical research using stem cells from human embryos, but less than half (49 percent) approved of destroying human embryos created through IVF.

Close to two thirds of respondents (64 percent) viewed “gay or lesbian relations” as morally acceptable.

However, a majority of Americans said pornography (58 percent), changing one’s gender (51 percent) and sex between teenagers (50 percent) were morally wrong.

More than half of those surveyed supported the death penalty (55 percent) and doctor-assisted suicide (53 percent). However, 71 percent of respondents disapproved of suicide itself.

Regarding moral issues involving animals, 59 percent approved of buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur, while only 48 percent approved of medical testing on animals.

Amid some of the largest lottery jackpots in U.S history, most respondents (66 percent) approved of gambling.

Gallup researchers noted that when respondents were asked about the nation’s overall state of morality, only 15 percent rated it “excellent” or “good,” while just under half (49 percent) described it as “poor” and 34 percent calling it “only fair.”

Read More Respect Life

Ireland’s abortion rates rise 62 percent over 5 years; Catholic advocates call it ‘a tragedy’

Judge blocks defunding of some, but not all, Planned Parenthood groups

Is NFP finally breaking into medical schools?

Nearly one in three conceptions in England and Wales end in abortion, government figures reveal

Planned Parenthood

Judge blocks, for now, Planned Parenthood defunding provision backed by bishops

Report: US abortions continue post-Dobbs rise in part due to telehealth

Copyright © 2024 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Gina Christian

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says

New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program

Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options

Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man
  • Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says
  • New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program
  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives
  • Our faith is not afraid of questions

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en