Women's Health Policy

ABORTION IN THE U.S.

KFF infographic explaining who regulates mifepristone, showing four entities and their roles: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves and regulates medications for safety and effectiveness; state legislatures pass laws that can restrict or protect access; courts rule on legal cases affecting regulation; and Congress can pass federal legislation influencing regulation.

Louisiana v. FDA: Access to Mifepristone Back at the Supreme Court

Louisiana sued the FDA in October 2025, claiming the FDA’s 2023 regulatory change eliminating the requirement that mifepristone be dispensed in-person—allowing it to be mailed or dispensed at retail pharmacies—harm the state's ability to enforce its abortion ban. This brief reviews the Louisiana v. FDA case now before the Supreme Court, and provides an overview of the other pending litigation involving mifepristone, as well as the mounting tension between states seeking to protect abortion and those banning the provision of abortion.

CONTRACEPTIve care IN THE U.S.

New and noteworthy

Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptive Pills

In July 2023, the FDA approved Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive pill to become available over the counter (OTC) without a doctor’s prescription. This issue brief provides an overview of OTC oral contraceptives and laws and policies related to insurance coverage.

featured

A promotional image for the the KFF Health Policy 101 Issues in Women’s Health chapter

Health Policy Issues in Women’s Health

Examine the core health coverage and access issues —shaped by federal and state policies—that affect women’s health today, including health coverage and costs, reproductive health services, maternal health, mental health, and intimate partner violence.

State Profiles for Women’s Health

Explore the latest national and state-specific data and policies on women’s health. Topics include health status, insurance and Medicaid coverage, use of preventive services, sexual health, maternal and infant health, and abortion policies. Many indicators provide state-level information for women of different racial and ethnic groups.

The essentials
  • Women’s Health Insurance Coverage

    This factsheet reviews major sources of coverage for women residing in the U.S., discusses the ACA's impact on coverage, and the coverage challenges that many women continue to face.
  • Medicaid Coverage for Women

    This data note presents key data points describing the current state of the Medicaid program as it affects women, including eligibility, reproductive health, chronic conditions, and more.
  • Dobbs: What are the Implications for Racial Disparities?

    This analysis examines the implications of the Dobbs decision and state restrictions on abortion coverage for racial disparities in access to care and health outcomes.
  • State Health Facts: Women's Health Indicators

    Information on women’s health status, utilization of services, health insurance coverage, family planning and childbirth, and abortion statistics and policies.
  • Key Facts on Abortion in the United States

    This report answers some key questions about abortion in the United States and presents data collected before the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

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  • Abortion Policy on the Global Stage: Unpacking the Trump Administration’s Newly Expanded Mexico City Policy

    Event Date:
    Event

    On Friday, January 23, 2026, the Trump administration released the latest expansion of the Mexico City Policy (MCP). The controversial policy, which had restricted foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from performing or promoting abortion as a method of family planning as a condition of receiving most U.S. global health aid, has been broadened significantly to include more organizations (not just foreign NGOs) and most U.S. foreign aid. Also, the policy now prohibits activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as support for gender-affirming care and services, and legal protections based on gender identity (among other activities). This move marked the most significant expansion of the MCP in more than 40 years — extending its reach far beyond the policy’s expansion during Trump’s first…

  • Employer Coverage of Travel Costs for Out-of-State Abortion

    Policy Watch

    This Policy Watch gives an overview of employers offering to cover travel expenses for workers who need to go out of state for an abortion in the context of increasing restrictions on abortion around the country. We discuss who is offering these benefits, the implications for workers, and some of the legal and political concerns for employers.

  • Potential Impacts of Delaying “Non-Essential” Reproductive Health Care

    Issue Brief

    This brief analyzes how states, health systems and providers have been faced with deciding what health care is “essential” verses “elective” during the COVID-19 crisis, and what the possible consequences are to delays in "non-essential" reproductive health care.

  • Coverage and Use of Fertility Services in the U.S.

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines how access to fertility services, both diagnostic and treatment, varies across the U.S., based on state regulations, insurance type, income level and patient demographics.

  • Issue Brief Explores Consequences of Potential Supreme Court Decisions on the ACA Contraceptive Coverage Requirement

    News Release

    A new Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief explores some of the factors influencing employers’ coverage decisions and possible consequences for employers and workers that could arise from possible Supreme Court decisions in the cases brought by Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, for-profit corporations challenging the Affordable Care Act’s requirement to cover contraceptive services and supplies in health insurance. Other resources about the Supreme Court case are also available online.

  • KFF Health Tracking Poll: Knowledge and Views of Medication Abortion

    Poll Finding

    This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that many, including women of reproductive age, remain unfamiliar with key facts about mifepristone. Fewer than half of all adults say they believe abortion pills are safe now, compared to over half of all adults two years ago. This poll explores awareness and perception of the recent FDA review of the medication, and support for policies aimed at restricting it.

  • National Survey of Americans and Health Care Providers on Emergency Contraception – Toplines/Survey

    Other Post

    1997 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception Conducted for the Henry J. Kaiser Family FoundationBy Princeton Survey Research Associates Topline (pdf) Methodology Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception The 1997 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception examined public knowledge and attitudes regarding unplanned pregnancy and contraception, with a particular focus on emergency contraceptive pills. The survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Kaiser Family Foundation, consisted of telephone…

  • Medicare’s Role for Women

    Fact Sheet

    Medicare’s Role for Women This fact sheet highlights Medicare’s important role in providing women with health care coverage. It examines the demographic profile of women on Medicare, including their health and income status, the program’s benefits and cost-sharing requirements, and the prevalence of supplemental coverage to fill gaps in Medicare’s coverage. Fact Sheet (.pdf)