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 Resource List-EIBbriefinglinks4_.doc-20000418-EIBbriefinglinks4_-doc

    Other Post

    Online ResourcesKaiser Family Foundation Election 2000 ResourcesElection SitesMedia Organizations' Election SitesPolitical ResourcesPolitical Organization SitesWomen and the 2000 ElectionWebsites for WomenStatistics and PollsAdditional Resources Kaiser Family Foundation Election 2000 Resources League of Women Voters - Join the Debate: Your Guide to Health Issues in the 2000 Election (PDF Format) National Survey on Health Care and the 2000 Elections The Public, Managed Care, and Consumer Protection (PDF Format) Election Sites Federal Election Commission Freedom Channel: video views…

  • If The FDA Approves Mifepristone…What Happens Next? Will Doctors Provide It? Will Women Want It? And, What Effect Will it Have on Abortion Politics? – Resource List

    Other Post

    Resource List Resource List If the FDA Approves Mifepristone . . . What Happens Next? Will Doctors Provide It? Do Women Want It? And, What Effect Will It Have on Abortion Politics? Tuesday, June 13, 2000 BRIEFING PARTICIPANTSOTHER RESOURCESResearch and Medical PracticeLegal and Political IssuesEmerging Issues in Reproductive Health, Program Contacts Briefing Participants Sandra P. Arnold Wendy Chavkin, MD, MPH Tina Hoff Carole Joffe, PhD Eric A. Schaff, MD Other Resources Research and Medical Practice:…

  • SexSmarts Survey – Teens and Sexual Health Communication

    Poll Finding

    SexSmarts Survey- Teens and Sexual Health Communication As part of an on-going public information partnership called SexSmarts, seventeen magazine and the Kaiser Family Foundation conduct nationally-representative surveys of teens 15 to 17 on issues related to their sexual health. This survey examines sexual health communication between teens and their parents, health care providers and partners. The results suggest that nearly four in 10 sexually active adolescents say their parents don't know they are having sex.…

  • Sex Education in America:  A View from Inside the Nation’s Classrooms

    Report

    A series of new national surveys of students and their parents (1501 pairs), teachers (1001), and principals (313) from the Kaiser Family Foundation on Sex Education in America, was released on Tuesday, September, 26th, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Challenging the convention that Americans are reluctant to have sexual health issues taught in school, the surveys show that most parents, along with educators and students themselves, would expand sex education courses and…

  • What You Need To Know On The Pill : The Latest Research and Birth Control s Other Coming Attractions

    Other Post

    It seems that almost every week the media reports on a new study about the Pill. Forty years after the first birth control pill was approved, research continues into everything from how effective oral contraceptives are to what impact they may have on risk for breast cancer, cervical cancer, or stroke. The Pill is the most widely used reversible contraceptive today and most new birth control methods also rely on hormones just like it. Yet…

  • Key Facts: Women and HIV/AIDS

    Report

    Women comprise a growing share of new cases of AIDS in the United States. In 1986, women only represented 7% of new cases of AIDS. By 1999 that share had risen to nearly one quarter. Not only do women represent an increasing share of persons with AIDS, today they represent 30 percent of new HIV infections. Women of color, particularly African Americans, have been hardest hit among women. This report provides an overview of the…

  • 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)

  • Young People Have Mixed Views On Abortion; But Strong Support For Sex Education And Gay Rights-3069

    Poll Finding

    Young people have mixed opinions on abortion, but strong positions on comprehensive sex education, HIV/AIDS policies, and gay rights, all hot button issues that could be affected by the upcoming presidential campaign, according to a new national survey of 18-24 year-olds released today by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV's "Choose or Lose" campaign. Seventy percent of young people say that whatever their own opinion on abortion, they favor a woman having the…