Public attitudes about abortion.
Although warning us that poll questions referring only to the first-trimester aspects of Roe v Wademay be biased, Blendon et al analyze responses to such a question in detail, the question posed by Harris, which is triply biased in a pro-choice direction.
Abstract
To the Editor. —In their abortion poll review, Dr Blendon and colleagues1addressed four issues. Regarding the second issue, "public perspectives on the desired legality of abortion," they failed to observe their own criterion of omitting biased questions, neglected to answer fully the question of how the Table data "relate to public attitudes about sustainingRoe v Wade," and failed to note important conclusions. Although warning us that poll questions referring only to the first-trimester aspects ofRoe v Wademay be biased, Blendon et al analyze responses to such a question in detail, the question posed by Harris, which is triply biased in a pro-choice direction.2,3Its main fault is that it gives the respondent uninformed about the content ofRoe v Wadethe impression that the court legalized abortion only in the first trimester, and seeks the informed respondent's opinion only on the first-trimester ruling. Yet