A world view: Catholic attitudes on sexual behavior & reproductive health

The majority of information provided in this report comes mainly from surveys of Catholics, but also from surveys in which Catholics made up a portion of the study population. In many cases, surveys are designed to represent the population of interest,
therefore researchers select people with varying socioeconomic characteristics, e.g., ages, ethnicities, education levels and incomes. Surveys can be conducted by telephone, mail or in person depending on the resources available and the timeframe of
the study.

Each type of data collection methodology has limitations regarding the interpretation of results. For example, responses to an opinion poll conducted after a major news event can be influenced by the extent and content of recent news coverage. Surveys
conducted by mail typically have lower response rates than phone surveys, and people who completed the survey might hold opinions different than those who did not participate in the study. The studies cited in this document are the most recent and
reliable available for each subject and country.