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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  • Sexual Health of Young African Americans in the U.S.

    Fact Sheet

    African Americans represent twelve percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 35 million people, but have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Fact Sheet:

  • Survey on Women’s Health in the U.S. – Survey Questionaire

    Other Post

    New Survey on Women's Health in the U.S. A new national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds most women report generally positive experiences with the health care system, but a sizable share faced problems. A significant minority of nonelderly women reported delaying or going without care in the past year or not filling a prescription due to costs. Women are more likely than men both to face these problems and express concerns about the…

  • Alan Guttmacher Institute Press Release

    Other Post

    Susan Tew/Chris Kirchgaessner 212-248-1111 mediaworks@agi-usa.org EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 9:30 AM, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1999 U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVERWHELMINGLY PROMOTE ABSTINENCE, BUT NOT TO THE EXCLUSION OF CONTRACEPTIVE INFORMATION Still, One-Third Say Instruction Must Be "Abstinence-Only" and Prohibit or Distort Contraceptive Information Among the seven in 10 public school districts that have a district-wide policy to teach sexuality education, the vast majority (86%) require that abstinence be promoted, either as the preferred option for teenagers…

  • Health News Index – July/August 2000

    Poll Finding

    Health News Index July/August, 2000 The July/August 2000 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/HarvardSchool of Public Health, Health News Index includes questions about major health stories covered in the news, including questions about the Supreme Court's recent decisions and House action on proposals for providing drug coverage to seniors. The Health News Index is designed to help the news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories in…

  • Falling Through the Cracks: Health Insurance Coverage of Low-Income Women

    Report

    Access to health coverage is a challenge for millions of low-income women. Because they are more likely to be low-wage workers and work in industries that don't offer benefits, access to job-based coverage is often problematic. Avenues for assistance are available to some through Medicaid. However, despite the program s broadened focus on children and pregnant women, restrictive income and categorical requirements still leave millions of women ineligible and often uninsured. Recent changes in public…

  • 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…