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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  • Agenda-20000418-Agendaapril_-doc

    Other Post

    class=normal> The Gender of Politics:How (And How Much) Will Women Influence Election 2000? Tuesday, April 18th9:30 am - 11:15 amBroadway Millennium Hotel44th and Broadway, New York City 9:30 am Registration 9:40 am Welcome/Introductions Tina Hoff, Director of Public Health Information and Communications, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 9:45 am The Gender of Politics: How (And How Much) Will Women Influence Election 2000? Who Is the "Woman Voter?" What Issues Does "She" Care About? Mollyann Brodie,…

  • Sexuality and American Social Policy

    Other Post

    Monographs as part of the ongoing seminar series, jointly sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI), "." Resource List:

  • Abortion in the U.S.

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet reviews abortion in the U.S. About half (49%) of the approximately 5.4 million pregnancies occurring in the United States each year are unintended. Fifty-four percent (54%), or approximately 1.4 million, of these unintended pregnancies ended in abortion in 1996. While abortion remains one of the most common surgical procedures in this country, abortion rates have declined. Fact Sheet:

  • Kaiser Family Foundation National Survey of Kids (and Their Parents) About Famous Athletes as Role Models

    Poll Finding

    With the most recent Olympics and now Major League Baseball marred by reports of the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs, a new nationwide survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the influence of sports figures in kids' lives today. Based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,500 children ages 10-17 years old (and 1,950 parents), the survey found that many American kids are mirroring the behavior of famous athletes - the…

  • Emergency Contraception on the Drug Store Shelves?Will it Happen? And What Would It Mean for “The Pill”?

    Issue Brief

    The debate over whether women should be able to get "the pill" without a prescription has been going on quietly for years. Now, some women's health advocates are asking if emergency contraception, birth control that can be used to prevent pregnancy after sex, should be available over-the-counter. The reason? While new emergency contraceptive products are now on the market, many U.S. women still don't know about them. And, even if they do, they might not…

  • Third National Survey of Women’s Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health

    Poll Finding

    Third National Survey of Women's Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health This national survey of women's health care providers on reproductive health includes data on prescribing practices and discussion of contraceptive counseling, as well as demographic information. Survey Snapshot: Women's Health Care Providers Experiences with Emergency Contraception Toplines: National Survey of Women's Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health: Emergency Contraception

  • Welfare, Women and Health: The Role of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief reflects on lessons learned from research about the connection between welfare policies and low-income women's health. The brief discusses the multiple aspects of the TANF program that can influence women's health and well-being, including access to health insurance, work requirements and training options, links to health care services, and reproductive health provisions. Issue Brief

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

    Report

    A national random-sample telephone survey of 1,510 teenagers age 12-18, conducted for the Foundation by Princeton Survey Research Associates between March 28, 1996 and May 5, 1996. The survey finds that most teens have enough information about how girls get pregnant, but not how to use different kinds of birth control. The survey also revealed a number of misperceptions about the consequences of pregnancy and that most teens say a common reason teens do get…

  • Key Facts: Women and HIV/AIDS in the United States

    Report

    Key Facts: Women and HIV/AIDS Key Facts: Women and HIV/AIDS provides comprehensive data on the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic on women in the United States. Based on the most recent data and research on the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among women, the report includes an overview of the epidemic profile, a profile of women living with HIV/AIDS, data on access to and use of health services, and women’s perceptions of HIV/AIDS. Report (.pdf)