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 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.

An Update on Medicaid, Title X and Planned Parenthood

This brief provides an update on Planned Parenthood clinic closures and participation in the Title X program amid substantial policy changes resulting in funding reductions. These changes include the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the withholding of federal Title X funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.

SELECTED RESOURCES

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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  • Nov. 16 Web Briefing: Update on Women’s Health Policy

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Supreme Court, Congress, and state policymakers are currently debating issues that are central to women’s health and well-being. Watch the KFF Women’s Health Policy team web briefing to learn more about the status and implications of these debates, from abortion to paid leave.

  • One in 10 Larger Nonprofits Have Sought an ‘Accommodation’ to the ACA Contraceptive Coverage Rule, Analysis Finds

    News Release

    As the U.S. Supreme Court gears up to hear a new round of legal challenges to the ACA’s contraceptive coverage requirement, a new Kaiser Family Foundation data note finds 10 percent of nonprofits with more than 1,000 employees have requested an "accommodation" to the health law's birth control requirement. Overall, 3 percent of nonprofits with 10 or more employees reported they have sought an accommodation, according to the analysis, which draws from responses to the Kaiser/Health…

  • Further Findings from Kaiser’s June Health Tracking Poll: Women’s Issues

    Feature

    The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll examines the public’s attitudes, with a focus on views of women ages 18-44, toward several key women’s issues including workplace protections and reproductive health – as well as the role that these issues may play in the 2018 midterm elections.

  • Health Affairs Blog: The Myth Of The Abortion Insurance Rider

    Perspective

    In a Health Affairs blog post, Laurie Sobel, Caroline Rosenzweig and Alina Salganicoff of the Kaiser Family Foundation discuss the feasibility of abortion riders to private group and individual health plans as a means of providing access to abortion coverage when states ban the coverage as part of an insurance plan. They summarize their 2018 analysis that these amendments are virtually non-existent.

  • Four in 10 Women Voters Age 18-44 Are “More Enthusiastic” to Vote in Mid-Terms This Year, Almost Three Times Higher than the Last Mid-Term

    News Release

    With the 2018 primary election season concluding in August and the general congressional mid-term election season ramping up, Kaiser Family Foundation polling finds younger women (ages 18-44) voters are more enthusiastic about voting this year than in previous mid-term elections. In a new data note about KFF’s June Health Tracking Poll that is focused on women voters’ influence in this year’s elections and beyond, the 39 percent of younger women voters expressing “more enthusiasm” is…

  • Teens on Sex: What They Say Teens Today Need to Know, And Who They Listen To

    Other Post

    12. Well now I'm going to read a list of reasons why some people say teenagers have sex. For each one, please tell me if you think this is often a reason, sometimes a reason, or hardly ever a reason teenagers have sex. (First), (Insert item. Rotate items.) -- how often is this a reason? Often a reason Sometimes a reason Hardly ever a reason DK Ref. a. Because they think they are ready to…

  • Condom Ads on TV: Unwrapping the Controversy

    Poll Finding

    Ever seen a condom advertised on TV? Up until a few years ago, the answer was almost always "no." But condoms and other topics once considered "taboo" are beginning to make an appearance on the small screen. A number of leading broadcast networks, as well as cable channels have in recent years quietly let go of long-standing policies prohibiting contraceptive commercials. But several others still prohibit advertising for condoms - even though they accept ads…

  • Women’s Health Care Providers STD Counseling and Testing

    Poll Finding

    Many women rely on their physicians to help them assess whether they are at risk for STDs and to provide them with information about testing, treatment and how to protect themselves. To better understand how often they discuss and screen for STDs, including HIV, the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed 767 physicians, including 566 obstetricians and gynecologists and 201 family practice practitioners, for the National Survey of Women's Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health. Toplines/Survey