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 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.

An Update on Medicaid, Title X and Planned Parenthood

This brief provides an update on Planned Parenthood clinic closures and participation in the Title X program amid substantial policy changes resulting in funding reductions. These changes include the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the withholding of federal Title X funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.

SELECTED RESOURCES

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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  • One Year Since Dobbs: The Landscape of Abortion Policies Across the US  

    News Release

    There has been intense focus on abortion policies across the United States since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022. That decision overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal constitutional protections for abortion and putting the decision to restrict or protect abortion with the states.  Now, nearly one year later, what is the status of federal and state developments? Where is abortion banned? Where is litigation pending? And…

  • A Focus on Contraception in the Wake of Dobbs

    Perspective

    In this commentary for Women’s Health Issues, a publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, KFF experts discuss contraceptive coverage and financing policies, access points within the delivery system, and the role of mis- and disinformation.

  • New KFF Survey Finds Abortion Remains Key Issue for Voters with Democrats Holding a Sizeable Edge over Republicans; A Third of Women Say They’ll Only Vote for Someone Who Shares Their Views

    News Release

    Nine months ahead of the first presidential primary of the 2024 election season, many voters, especially women, say candidates’ views on abortion will again be a key issue, and Democrats hold a strong edge over Republicans on the issue, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds.Three in 10 registered voters (30%) – and a third of women voters (35%) – say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion. This…

  • The Title X Network Has Largely Returned Under the Biden Administration 

    News Release

    A new KFF brief examines the return of grantees and clinic sites to the Title X network under the Biden Administration, which reversed Trump Administration regulations that prohibited Title X sites from providing abortion referrals and having co-located abortion services. For more than 50 years, the federal Title X program has provided family planning services to nearly four million people a year through a network of clinics. The program is part of the U.S. public…

  • Rebuilding the Title X Network Under the Biden Administration

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief examines what has happened to the Title X network under the Biden Administration regulations, including the number of clinics that have returned to the network, new funding, and how state policies that prohibit pregnancy options counseling that includes abortion and referrals may impact grantees' participation in the Title X program.

  • What Are the Exceptions to State Abortion Bans?

    News Release

    A new KFF analysis reviews exceptions to abortion bans and describes how the stated aim to provide life-saving and health-preserving abortion care may not be achieved in practice. Abortion is currently banned in 14 states and many other states have attempted to ban or severely restrict abortion access. Exceptions to state abortion bans generally fall into four general categories: to prevent the death of the pregnant person, when there is risk to the health of…

  • Update on the Status of Medication Abortion and the Courts

    Policy Watch

    This policy watch explains the April 21, 2023 United States Supreme Court's ruling on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, a case challening the FDA's approval of mifepristone, the medication abortion pill.