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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  • Contraceptive Use and Methods in the U.S.

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet reviews contraceptive use and methods in the U.S., including current attitudes about contraception, use by adolescents and young adults, various contraception options, and insurance coverage. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • SELF Event Chartpack

    Other Post

    This chartpack outlines the findings of the national survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in partnership with SELF Magazine, of women on their sexual health. The study focuses on women attitudes, knowledge, and experiences relating to all facets of sexual health.

  • It Takes Two: What Sexual Health Means for Men…And What That Means for Women

    Other Post

    Compared to women, men are less likely to think about their sexual health - let alone make regular visits to the doctor. However, new research from the Alan Guttmacher Institute shows that reproductive health services should be provided to men, for their own sake. There is also no dispute that men's sexual health directly affects women. On March 12, David Landry, Senior Research Associate at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, presented the findings of a new,…

  • National Survey Results on Public Knowledge/Opinions and OB/GYN Practice/Attitudes on Emergency Contraceptives (“Morning-After Pills”) – Policy Brief

    Issue Brief

    EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION: The Answer to America's Unplanned Pregnancy Problem? March, 1995 OVERVIEW For approximately 20 years, emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), high-dose oral contraceptivesalso referred to as "morning-after pills," have been known to prevent pregnancy after unprotectedsex and available in the United States. Findings from a new Kaiser Family Foundation/LouisHarris and Associates, Inc. national public knowledge and opinion survey, however, indicate thatmost American women are uninformed or misinformed about the contraceptive alternative andfew have ever used…

  • New KFF Analyses on Women and Medicaid: State Family Planning Benefits and Contraceptive Provision

    News Release

    Medicaid, the state and federal health coverage program for low-income people, finances family planning services for millions of women across the nation. National statistics, however, can mask important state-level Medicaid policy and utilization differences. Two new KFF state-level analyses have just been posted that provide up-to-date coverage policies and practices as well as new data on contraceptive provision under Medicaid. Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Benefits: Findings from a 2021 State Survey Based on findings…

  • State Variations in the Role of the Reproductive Health Safety Net for Contraceptive Care Among Medicaid Enrollees

    Issue Brief

    This KFF analysis uses 2023 T-MSIS Research Identifiable Files to look at where reproductive-age female Medicaid enrollees received their last contraceptive visit by state. Overall, more than four in 10 (43%) female Medicaid enrollees received their last contraceptive visit of 2023 at a safety net provider, which includes Planned Parenthood clinics, community health centers, state and local health departments, and Indian health services, but there is wide variation by state.