Menlo Park, Calif. – A new survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California and funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation reveals a great deal of common ground among Californians of all political persuasions about contraception and sex education in schools, among other issues.
Among the key findings, an overwhelming 89% of Californians believe that access to contraception is important to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies in the state. Similarly, nearly four in five (78%) Californians (as well as 66% of self-described evangelical Christians) believe that school-based sex education should include information about both contraception and abstinence. In addition, 80% of all respondents and 64% of Republicans favor government funding for programs that provide lower income residents with birth control methods or contraception.
“This extremely rigorous survey is an important reminder that the vast, pragmatic center is alive and well in California,” said Sara Seims, Director of The Hewlett Foundation’s Population Program. “In fact, opinions on issues like sex education and using contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies turn out to be consistent across the board among survey respondents. This is extremely useful information as we all try to figure out the best way to protect the reproductive health of people in California and across the country.”
The Public Policy Institute of California based its findings on a telephone survey of 2,504 adult California residents interviewed between November 30th and December 13th, 2005. Interviews were conducted in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The sampling error for the total sample is +/- 2%. The complete survey can be downloaded from www.ppic.org.
About the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, has been making grants since 1966 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, environment, global development, performing arts, philanthropy, population, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Foundation has total assets of approximately $6.87 billion. A full list of all the Hewlett Foundation’s grants can be found at http://www.hewlett.org/grants.
About the Public Policy Institute of California
PPIC is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public policy through objective, nonpartisan research on the economic, social, and political issues that affect Californians. The institute was established in 1994 with an endowment from William R. Hewlett. PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office.