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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  • Women at Greatest Risk for Being Uninsured in 2012

    Feature

    Women at Greatest Risk for Being Uninsured, 2012 Download Source Kaiser Family Foundation and Urban Institute analysis of the March 2013 Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of the Census.   

  • Welfare Policy and Reproductive Health:

    Other Post

    "Capping" a Family's Benefits Policy makers have long grappled with the complex questions of how to reduce poverty and promote economic self-sufficiency among the poor. Recent efforts have focused on how to influence key behaviors such as the decision to have children outside of marriage. One common legislative proposal has been to eliminate the traditional incremental increase in monthly benefits families typically receive after another child is born. This policy has been dubbed a "family…

  • Welfare Policy and Reproductive Health: Abstinence Unless Married Programs

    Other Post

    In recent years, there has been an increasing federal role in supporting efforts to reduce the incidence of childbirth outside of marriage and decrease teen pregnancy rates through specialized programs. The 1996 welfare law provided a new incentive for states to use federal matching funds to establish educational programs that promote abstinence from sex unless married. This issue brief summarizes current federal and state policies on abstinence unless married programs, highlights the current state of…

  • National Survey of Women about their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding their Reproductive Health

    Report

    Survey of Women About Their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Their Reproductive Health Glamour; Kaiser Family Foundation; Princeton Survey Research Associates Summary of Major Findings February 1997 The Kaiser Family Foundation partnered with Glamour magazine on a national survey to find out how much women know about their reproductive health care needs and whether they are taking important steps to protect their reproductive health, covering such critical issues as: routine gynecological exams,contraception, emergency contraception, sexually…

  • Health Reform: Implications for Women’s Access to Coverage and Care

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief, Health Reform: Implications for Women's Access to Coverage and Care, reviews how the Affordable Care Act is expected to affect access to care and affordability of health coverage for women. It also explains the provisions in the health reform law related to preventive screening services, reproductive health, maternity care and women on Medicare. The brief includes national and state-level estimates of the percentage of uninsured women ages 18-64 who are likely to…

  • EMPOWERED: A New Campaign From Alicia Keys and Greater Than AIDS to Reach Women on HIV/AIDS

    Event Date:
    Event

    At noon ET on Monday, April 15, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted a webcast (archived video below) to introduce EMPOWERED, a new campaign from Grammy Award-winning artist and HIV activist Alicia Keys and the Kaiser Family Foundation to reach women about HIV/AIDS. Ms. Keys was joined by White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Rep. Barbara Lee, co-chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, and experts from Kaiser and AIDS United to discuss the impact of HIV on…