PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A USA Today/Gallup poll shows Americans nearly equally divided over the abortion issue.
The survey released Wednesday showed 47 percent of respondents identifying themselves as "pro-choice" and 46 percent calling themselves "pro-life."
The survey conducted in mid-July compares with 51 percent "pro-life" and 42 percent "pro-choice" in May.
Gallup noted in a written statement that the May survey was conducted amid news coverage of the abortion-fueled controversy over President Barack Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame. The latest survey was conducted in the wake of the shooting death of Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas abortion provider.
It declared the 1 percentage point difference in the July poll to be "not statistically significant."
The poll also showed a 10-point increase in the percentage of Republicans, 68 percent, who consider themselves "pro-life" in the past year while Democrats' opinions remained largely unchanged.
The July 17-19 telephone survey involved 1,006 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of sampling error of 4 percentage points.
