Highlights

SSRS conducted the 2024 Women’s Health Survey, a national survey focused on reproductive health and contraception among men and women ages 18 to 64. The survey covered topics such as access to fertility services, experiences with abortion, and accessing mental health services. It also included some sensitive questions related to intimate partner violence. To meet their research goals, KFF was interested in assessing the opinions of women living in states with various abortion policies, as well as analyzing the public opinion of women in states where reproductive measures were on the ballot, namely Arizona and Florida.

Challenge

In addition to including sensitive questions related to intimate partner violence and abortion, KFF was interested in maximizing the number of completed interviews of women living in states with different abortion policies (i.e., banned, gestational limits, or available). KFF also wanted to obtain an oversample of women ages 18 to 49 in Arizona and Florida, as these two states had reproductive measures on the ballot close to the time of the survey. KFF was interested in analyzing findings by three broad groups: women of reproductive age (i.e., ages 18 to 49), women ages 50-64, and men ages 18 to 64. To ensure sufficient sample for the subgroups of interest among women of reproductive age – lesbian and bisexual women; Asian, Hispanic, and Black women; low-income women; and women living in rural areas – SSRS included a national oversample of women ages 18 to 49.

Approach

SSRS was able to achieve the goals for this study by sampling and recruiting potential respondents largely from the SSRS Opinion Panel, SSRS’s unique probability-based online panel in the United States. The survey oversampled women ages 18 to 49 and utilized supplemental sample from a partner probability panel. In addition to the national oversample, the 2024 survey also oversampled women ages 18 to 49 in Arizona and Florida, in an effort to analyze public opinion among women in states where reproductive measures were on the ballot and heavily represented in the public discourse.

Given the sensitive nature of the survey, SSRS – in collaboration with KFF – consulted on best practices in the administration of sensitive questions and assembled a list of resources (e.g., hotlines or access to counseling support) for respondents in case of distress during the survey (e.g., those related to intimate partner violence, in particular). Further, SSRS submitted the study for IRB approval, prior to contacting any respondents.

Results

Gaining a deeper understanding of women’s access to reproductive health care – and their views on abortion and experiences with intimate partner violence – is essential to informing policies that directly impact their well-being. SSRS carefully included sensitive questions on these topics by following best practices, such as providing a list of support resources within the survey to ensure participant safety and comfort. To ensure the findings reflected the diversity of women’s experiences, the study included oversamples of women aged 18–49 and made a concerted effort to maximize completed interviews among lesbian and bisexual women; Asian, Hispanic, and Black women; low-income women; and women living in rural areas. This inclusive approach allowed for a more detailed and representative understanding of how reproductive health issues and ballot measures affect women across different backgrounds. These insights are critical for understanding how such issues may influence women’s voting behavior and engagement with policies that affect their health.