New poll: Republican primary voters strongly support easy access to safe birth control

July 19 (UPI) -- A new poll, conducted after the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, shows Republican primary voters overwhelmingly support safe and accessible birth control.

The survey was commissioned by Independent Women's Voice, between July 5 and July 7, before Democrats introduced the Protecting Access to Contraception Act H.R. 8373 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

It found 84% of likely Republican primary voters support safe access to contraceptives with 74% strongly supporting, according to Wes Anderson of OnMessage, who conducted the survey.

"Our survey explored the implications of a post-Roe political environment for the Republican base, particularly with regards to safe contraception," Anderson said in a statement. "While a strong majority of the GOP base approves of the recent Dobbs decision, they nearly universally oppose restricting access to contraception."

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 last month to end federal abortion protections provided by Roe vs. Wade in its Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. Since then, a number of states have moved to restrict abortion access.

Earlier this month, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced the Protecting Access to Contraception Act to guarantee Americans access birth control.

"When it comes to our reproductive freedom, it is clear that this right-wing, extremist Supreme Court will not stop at stripping us of our right to safe and legal abortion," Jayapal said in a statement introducing the bill.

"Access to contraception is crucial to limiting unintended pregnancies. We are already seeing efforts by state and local governments to take away access to contraception methods," Jayapal said.

"The claim that the GOP wants to restrict contraception is yet another harmful hoax, designed to instill fear and distract from real concerns," said CEO Heather R. Higgins of IWV in a statement Tuesday. "Conservatives understand real women's concerns and the importance we place on having safe contraception."

The IWV poll also revealed Republican voters draw a clear distinction between methods that prevent pregnancy, like the pill and IUDs, and medications that end pregnancy.

Nearly 83% of likely Republican voters who self-identified as pro-life agree that supporting legal and accessible contraception is a pro-life position.

"The Left is deliberately misrepresenting both what conservatives believe and what the Supreme Court said in the Dobbs decision," Higgins said. "The Court's decision in no way affects the availability of safe contraceptives, which GOP voters nearly unanimously see as a good thing."