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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  • Online Resources-Online.doc-20000613a-Online-doc

    Other Post

    Online Resources KFF Resources Daily Reproductive Health Reports on RU-486 and MifepristoneOffers a retrospective look at the debate, using the archives of this daily report.Abortion, Issue Update May 1999 Highlights the clinical and political issues regarding abortion.From the Patient's Perspective: the Quality of Abortion Care May 1999 - Women's views and perceptions of the quality of care they have received.Abortion in the U.S., Fact SheetSeptember 1998 - Offers some useful background statistics on abortion in…

  • Access to Care for Low-Income Women: The Impact of Medicaid

    Other Post

    Health coverage is of critical importance to low-income women. This study was undertaken to assess how low-income women with Medicaid, private insurance, or no insurance vary with regard to personal characteristics, health status, and health utilization. Data are from a telephone interview survey of a representative cross-sectional sample of 5,200 low-income women in Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas. On the whole, low-income women were found to experience considerable barriers to care; however, uninsured low-income…

  • Perceptions and Reality: How Safe Is the Pill? The Role of the Media, Healthcare Providers, and the Pharmaceutical Industry in Shaping American Women’

    Fact Sheet

    Perceptions and Reality: How Safe Is the Pill? The Role of the Media, Healthcare Providers, and the Pharmaceutical Industry in Shaping American Women' A fact sheet, Q&A and resource list prepared for a media briefing that focused on public perceptions and knowledge of the safety of birth control pills compared with the real facts about the risks and benefits. In addition, the program addressed how new information about the health effects of contraception is communicated…

  • Teens on Sex: What They Say About the Media as an Information Source

    Other Post

    Teens on Sex: What They Say About the Media as an Information Source According to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a third (34%) of teens say some teens have sex because television and movies make it seem "normal" for teens to be sexually active. But, many teens also say that television and movies, after their teachers, parents, and friends, are important sources of information for them on pregnancy and birth control. Nearly…

  • Promoting Access to Prenatal Care: Lessons from the California Experience

    Other Post

    Improving access to prenatal care has been a public policy priority in the United States for the past 15 years. This report and issue brief, prepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation by Paula Braveman, M.D. of the University of California, San Francisco and others, examine the impact of the Medicaid pregnancy-related expansions and reforms in California during the late 1980s and 1990s on the use of prenatal care. Report Issue Brief

  • National Survey on Public Knowledge and Attitudes on Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy 1995

    Poll Finding

    Nationwide surveys have explored public opinion on these issues, but few surveys have measured the public's knowledge of unplanned pregnancy, abortion, contraceptive methods and other related topics. The Kaiser Family Foundation commissioned a survey of Americans to identify where the gaps and misperceptions exist in the public's knowledge of reproductive health issues, in an effort to help dispel the myths and provide Americans with the facts. The national household survey of 2,002 Americans was designed…

  • Talking about STDs with Health Professionals: Women’s Experiences – Toplines/Survey

    Other Post

    Talking about STDs with Health Professionals: Women's Experiences Glamour/Kaiser Family Foundation National Survey Methodology Talking about STDS with Health Professionals: Women's Experiences was conducted for the Kaiser Family Foundation and Glamour by Market Facts, Inc. The results are based on telephone interviews conducted between May 27 through June 1, 1997 with a sample of 482 women ages 18-44 who had been to a new doctor within the last year for gynecological or obstetrical care. These…

  • Preventive Services Covered by Private Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act

    Fact Sheet

    Note:  This content was updated on February 28, 2024  to incorporate new FAQs from CMS. Tables 1 and 2 were also updated to include updated recommendations. It has been more than ten years since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) required private insurance plans to cover recommended preventive services without any patient cost-sharing. Research has shown that evidence-based preventive services can save lives and improve health by identifying illnesses earlier, managing them more effectively, and treating…