Statistics Show Catholics Use and Support Access to Contraception/ Majority of Catholic Women Do NOT Follow Church Teaching/ Catholic Hierarchy on Contraceptive Use

According to these statistics, the U.S. hierarchy's efforts to bully the Obama administration into granting an exemption to coverage for contraceptives is out of touch with the majority of Catholic women. US Catholics, including Catholic women, follow their conscience and support contraceptive coverage. Catholic women are the experts on birth control, not the male celibate hierarchy. Their wisdom speaks for itself in the statistics below. It is time for the bishops to "listen up" since women are half of the church's membership!
Bridget Mary Meehan
sofiabmm@aol.com

Catholics Use Contraception.
98% of sexually experienced Catholic women have used a contraceptive method other than natural family planning as compared to 99% of the general population. "Countering Conventional Wisdom: New Evidence on Religion and Contaceptive use, Guttmacher Institute, April 2011.
Only 2 % of Catholic women, including those who attend church once a month or more, rely on natural family planning. Guttmacher Institute, April 2011

Catholics Support Contraceptive Coverage.
More than 6 in 10 Catholic voters surveyed in 2009 supported health insurance coverage- whether it is private or government insurance - for contraceptives. (Belden Russonello &Stewart , "Catholic Voters Views on Health Care Reform and Reproductive Health Care Services," Catholics for Choice, 2009
A 2010 poll showed that Catholic women voters are more likely to support health plan coverage for birth control- 77% versus 71% of the population at large. (Hart research, "Survey: Nearly Three in four Voters in America Support Fully Covering Prescription Birth Control," Planned Parenthood, October 12, 2012
85% of Catholics believe in extending birth control coverage to those who want it but cannot afford it- this is more than 82% of the general population.( Public Religion Research Institute, "The Morning Buzz," January 23, 2011)

Catholics Support Contraceptive Access for Minors
Catholics (55%) are as likely as the general population (57%) to believe that 14  to 16 year-olds should be able to access contraception, even if their parents do not approve. (General Social Survey 2007.

Catholics Believe in Limits on Religious Exemptions
Two thirds (65%) of US Catholic voters believe that hospitals and hospitals and clinics taking taxpayers dollars show not be allowed to refuse to provide certain medications or procedures.
((Belden, Russonello &Stewart , "Catholic Voters Views on Health Care Reform and Reproductive Health Care Services," Catholics for Choice, 2009)
Nearly 8 in 10 Catholics (78%) oppose allowing  pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions. ((Belden, Russonello &Stewart , "Catholic Voters Views on Health Care Reform and Reproductive Health Care Services," Catholics for Choice, 2009)

 Catholics Put Conscience First
A 2011 survey revealed that only 10% of US Catholics believe that church leaders have the final say about contraception. 66% believe individuals alone decide what is right or wrong about abortion. (National Catholic Reporter, "Right and Wrong: Who has the Final Say?" , October 24, 2011. )
When a 2005 poll asked whether they were more likely to follow the pope's teaching or their own conscience on difficult more questions, 74% of US Catholics questioned said they would follow their conscience. (Jeffrey M. Jones, "US Catholics' Reaction to Pope Benedict XVI More Positive Than Negative,' Gallup News Service, April 20, 2005.

Catholics Support Changing Church Teachings
When asked in 2005 about the next pope, 78% of US Catholics polled said that birth control should be allowed by the church.  (CNN/Gallup/USA Today Poll, April 2005.

(Source: Jon O'Brien, Catholics for Choice)