According to a new poll, men and women disagree on abortion more now than they have at any point in the last 30 years. Now scholars are trying to figure out why.
For decades, men and women were roughly aligned on this issue. Since 1998, there’s rarely been a significant differential between them when it comes to abortion rights. But that all changed a few years ago, after the Supreme Court’s verdict in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, ending a national right to an abortion for women and turning the issue back over to the states.
Since that court’s ruling, women have increasingly identified as pro-choice, while men have actually drifted away from abortion rights and become more pro-life. In just a matter of years, what was once a two-point difference between men and women when it comes to abortion has ballooned into a 20 percent gap, according to Gallup:
Churchgoing a Factor?
Could religion have a role to play in this shift? In recent years, young men have begun attending church in record numbers – leaving some to wonder if the two trends could be related.
Last year, a Pew study rocked the world of faith, unveiling that for the first time, women were leaving church faster than men, reversing decades of female-dominated rates of religiosity. Studies show this development is being spearheaded by young men, who are returning to the fold in record numbers.
In many cases, the religious communities they are joining adamantly oppose abortion rights. A 2024 Pew Research poll found that just 25% of evangelical protestants said abortion should be "legal in all/most cases," while 73% said it should be "illegal in all/most cases."
Men Return to the Pews
What's driving this return to faith?
Are churches getting better at reaching young men? Is a cultural ecosystem of faith-oriented influencers guiding young men back towards Christianity? Or is the intersection of conservative politics and the Christian faith bringing Gen-Z males – a majority of whom voted Republican in 2024 – back to the flock?
Well… could be all of the above. As Dr. David Campbell, a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame, explained, “if you’re a young white male these days and you think of yourself as conservative, then being religious is a part of that.”
Interestingly, this shift has upended a separate trend many thought was inevitable: The rise of "None" as the fastest-growing "faith" in the United States.
A Widening Gap
The widening gender gap on abortion rights could have myriad causes. After all, in a post-Dobbs world, it's women's reproductive rights that are at stake. As those directly affected by anti-abortion laws, women naturally have stronger feelings on the issue.
But that's only one side of the equation; What is causing male support for pro-choice causes to drop?
One thing is for sure: this gap represents a cultural flashpoint that is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.
What do you think? Is the religious and cultural drift of young men a likely explanation, or is there another cause at play?
13 comments
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
When the Christian God performs an abortion, it’s called a “miscarriage” — so in my Secular Humanist Pantheist” denomination of the Universal Life Church, we advocate calling abortions, miscarriages which would then have the support of all Christians, because if their God routinely causes miscarriages, there’s no reason why all other Gods can’t do so as the circumstances necessitate.
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
Interesting article, I don't think its accurate. Men are prolife until they have to pay for 18 yrs of it. Especially if you get your girlfriend knock up & you don't want to marry her. I thought the article was bias & women of faith have had pro choice stances on abortion. If men wanted to have all these babies why aren't they standing in line at the sperm donor bank, why are the orphanages empty. Blest Be.
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Robert Gagnon
Women should have complete autonomy in this decision. It would be considerate but not necessary to include the man in the decision. And he should never have a veto vote in the matter. Men can just walk away with little or no regret, but women are forever attached biologically and emotionally to the life they create. Abortion is rarely taken lightly as some seem to assume.
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Robert Gagnon
Women should have complete autonomy in this decision. It would be considerate but not necessary to include the man in the decision. And he should never have a veto vote in the matter. Men can just walk away with little or no regret, but women are forever attached biologically and emotionally to the life they create. Abortion is rarely taken lightly as some seem to assume.
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Kevin Patrick Dabbs
Only way abortion should be legal is in the case of Rape., Incest or the babies or mother's health is in danger, and decision between Dr. Mother and Father, Not govt.
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Reverend Paula Copp
When you become a woman, your opinion will count. Until then, stay out of it.
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Clay Serenbetz
Men shouldn't make policy on women's issues.
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Lionheart
Yes, but try telling that to your male God who loved to make policy decisions for you females, or you go to Hell if you don’t do as you are told. 🤭
Amazingly, females love worshipping it, and his male offspring. 🤷
Thank goodness there’s no demonstrable evidence it’s real 🤗
🦁❤️
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Dawn
Agreed. Especially of that pregnancy was from rape or incest AND they are expected to keep the demon spawn & raise yet another unwanted human-cuz god wants them to.
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Ann
I was a virgin when I was raped. My only concern was if I was pregnant I was going to make damn certain my baby never knew the circumstances of their birth. They were not going to suffer for the actions of another.
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Stephanie A Willey
If men could get pregnant, abortions would be free and available at every Quick Oil Change shop in every town.
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
lol
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Let the men be chemically castrated until he’s sufficiently mature and stable enough to father children… then we can talk about whether women should have access to abortions. Few pregnancies would end in abortion if only those who WANTED children were able to get pregnant. Perhaps child support beginning at conception would work…