A majority of Americans look favorably on Planned Parenthood, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll.
According to the survey, 53 percent have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the health care provider, while 33 percent have a very or somewhat unfavorable opinion. Another 14 percent said they weren't sure.
By 48 percent to 38 percent, a plurality of respondents said they also oppose banning Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds.
Government funding cuts have hit Planned Parenthood's clinics hard. Most recently, Planned Parenthood of Texas announced that Medicaid cuts passed by the state legislature in 2011 would force the closure of three of its clinics in the state, only one of which provides abortions.
Although opinion of Planned Parenthood in the new poll was largely positive, it was also strongly divided along party lines: Democrats viewed the organization favorably by an 80 percent to 11 percent margin, while Republicans viewed it unfavorably by a 60 percent to 28 percent margin. A plurality of independents had a favorable opinion, 44 percent to 36 percent.
By a 60 percent to 25 percent margin, most women in the poll looked positively on Planned Parenthood. Men were more closely divided, favoring the group by only 46 percent to 41 percent.
One in five Americans said they had personally visited a Planned Parenthood clinic for health services, including 29 percent of women and 10 percent of men.
Planned Parenthood's popularity continues despite divided views over abortion. According to a previous HuffPost/YouGov poll, Americans are split on whether abortion should be legal or illegal: 46 percent said that it should be generally or always legal, while 47 percent said it should be generally or always illegal.
The new HuffPost/YouGov poll was conducted July 18-19 among 1,000 adults using a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church attendance.
The Huffington Post has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov's nationally representative opinion polling.
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