Relatively few Americans fully endorse the idea that a fertilized egg should have the same rights as a pregnant woman according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The poll found that a solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban as a rising number support access to abortions for any reason.
But anti-abortion advocates are increasingly pushing for broader measures that would give rights and protections to embryos and fetuses, which could have massive implications for fertility treatments and other areas of health care.
According to the poll, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to IVF, a type of fertility treatment where eggs are combined with sperm outside the body in a lab to form an embryo.
Views on banning the destruction of embryos created through IVF are less developed, with 4 in 10 adults expressing a neutral opinion.
Earlier this year, Alabama’s largest hospital paused in vitro fertilization treatments, following a court ruling that said frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children. Not long after, the governor signed legislation shielding doctors from potential legal liability in order to restart procedures in the state.
