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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  • After Dobbs, Survey Seeks to Understand Telecontraception Clients Better

    News Release

    According to a new KFF survey with a nonprobability sample of clients from four online sources of contraception, one in four clients said they got emergency contraception to have on hand because of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Additionally, more than a fifth (22%) said they have considered sterilization, 12% reported that they considered switching to or started using a more effective method of birth control, and eight percent said that…

  • 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.

  • 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…

  • Updated Women’s Health State Data: Interactive Dashboard

    News Release

    Interested in keeping up with the most recent state specific women's health data and policies? The newly updated and upgraded KFF State Profiles for Women's Health interactive dashboard offers the latest national and state data and policies women’s health, from health insurance coverage to abortion policy changes. This easy-to-use visual dashboard allows you to explore a broad range of state-level statistics and policies of importance to women including health status, insurance, and Medicaid coverage, use…

  • Abortion Bans May Limit Access to Certain Drugs Used to Treat Women with Cancer, Autoimmune Diseases, and Ulcers

    News Release

    A new KFF analysis finds that women comprise the majority of patients who rely on certain drugs that may be restricted in response to state abortion bans. Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, some women in abortion-banning states have reported that clinicians and pharmacists denied them access to medications like methotrexate and misoprostol that are used to manage chronic conditions but are also used for medication abortions and treatment of ectopic…

  • Recent and Anticipated Actions to Reverse Trump Administration Section 1557 Non-Discrimination Rules

    Issue Brief

    The Biden Administration has started taking steps to reverse Trump Administration policy and regulations that significantly narrowed the implementation and administrative enforcement of Section 1557, the Affordable Care Act’s nondiscrimination provision, particularly as the regulations apply to gender identity and sexual orientation. In addition, several lawsuits challenging the regulations, which were initially issued by the Obama Administration and later substantially revised by the Trump Administration, are pending. Section 1557 prohibits discrimination based on race, color,…

  • States Look to Bolster Maternal Health

    Feature

    Starting April 1, states have a new option to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months without having to seek a waiver.

  • What is the future of contraceptive care in a post-Roe world?

    Event Date:
    Event

    On December 13th, KFF held a web event highlighting key findings from KFF’s 2022 Women’s Health Survey on women’s contraceptive access, experiences, and preferences. After the presentation of the survey findings, leaders in sexual and reproductive health care explored the challenges and opportunities in contraceptive care access in a rapidly changing policy and clinical context.

  • Round 3: Legal Challenges to Contraceptive Coverage at SCOTUS

    Issue Brief

    This brief explains how the new regulations issued by the Trump Administration would change the contraceptive coverage requirement for employers and affect women’s coverage, the legal positions for challenging and defending these regulations, the potential rulings, and the broader ramifications.