Poland is still overwhelmingly opposed to abortions on demand, gay marriage and the adoption of children by homosexual couples.

The results of a poll by the GfK Polonia institute, carried out for Rzeczpospolita, established that only five percent of respondents supported free access to abortion, while 79 percent opposed legalizing marriage between homosexuals. The strongest opposition, however, was towards the adoption of children by homosexuals- with 93 percent against the idea.

And, if anything, Poles have become even more conservative with regards to these issues in recent months – a similar poll carried out by GfK Polonia last July discovered that 87 percent opposed gay adoption, while 75 percent were against gay marriage.

Nonetheless, according to the latest GfK Polonia poll, 59 percent of respondents would approve an abortion in “certain circumstances,” while 34 percent opposed the practice outright.

According to Dr Ireneusz Siudem, social psychologist at the University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska in Lublin, these results do not necessarily mean an acceptance of the abortion law, but rather evidence Poles' empathy. “We can imagine the personal plight of people,” he said.

Polish law allows abortion in three circumstances: if the life or health of a pregnant woman is under threat, if there is reasonable suspicion that the pregnancy was the result of a criminal act, or if prenatal tests indicate a high probability of severe and irreversible damage to the fetus or to terminal illness threatening his life. (GP)

Source: Rzeczpospolita