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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591 - 600 of 875 Results

  • Abortion Coverage in Marketplace Plans, 2015

    Issue Brief

    This brief analyzes state policies and insurer coverage decisions affecting the availability of abortion coverage in 2015 insurance plans offered through the Marketplaces. It finds that abortion coverage is unavailable in a total of 31 states, 24 of which have enacted laws that ban or restrict abortion coverage in plans sold through their Marketplaces and 7 of which have no abortion coverage restrictions but also have no Marketplace plans offering it.

  • Briefing Resource List-20000418-briefingresourcesapril_-doc

    Other Post

    Briefing Resource List The Gender of Politics:How (and How Much) Will Women Influence Election 2000?Tuesday, April 18, 2000Briefing ParticipantsOther ResourcesAnalysts and ResearchersPollstersWomen's Political OrganizationsVoter Education/InformationAdditional Voter Education WebsitesNational Political PartiesPolitical Analysts/StrategistsEmerging Issues in Reproductive Health, Program Contacts Briefing Participants Mollyann Brodie, PhD, Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Media ResearchTina Hoff, Director, Public Health Information and CommunicationsHenry J. Kaiser Family Foundation2400 Sand Hill RoadMenlo Park, CA 94025Press contact: Amy WeitzTel. 650.854.9400Fax. 650.854.7465E-mail: aweitz@kff.orgWebsite:…

  • Access to Care for Low-Income Women: The Impact of Medicaid

    Other Post

    Health coverage is of critical importance to low-income women. This study was undertaken to assess how low-income women with Medicaid, private insurance, or no insurance vary with regard to personal characteristics, health status, and health utilization. Data are from a telephone interview survey of a representative cross-sectional sample of 5,200 low-income women in Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas. On the whole, low-income women were found to experience considerable barriers to care; however, uninsured low-income…

  • Sex in the 90s: 1998 National Survey of Americans on Sex and Sexual Health 1

    Other Post

    30. Are you currently involved in a sexual relationship? Based on those not currently married or living as married; n=479 38 Yes 60 No 2 Don't know/Refused 100 CURRENT RELATIONSHIP STATUS (Q29, Q30):60 Married/Living as 15 Unmarried and involved 24 Unmarried and not involved 1 Don't know/Refused 100 31. How long have you (been married /been together with this person)? Based on those married, living as married, or involved in a sexual relationship; n=916 20…

  • National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: The More You Know About Teen Pregnancy Prevention Campaign Information

    Other Post

    The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation When are teens most likely to get pregnant? Pregnancy risk is high right from the beginning of sexual activity: half of all first teen pregnancies occur in the first six months after sexual activity begins. What are the outcomes of most teen pregnancies?Half (54%) of pregnancies among teen girls, 15-19 years old, end in birth. A third of teen pregnancies end in abortion (32%) and 14 percent end in…

  • Women, Work, and Family Health: A Balancing Act

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief examines women's roles in family health care decision-making and coordination, the effect of that involvement for women who work, and women's caregiving responsibilities. This analysis is based on data from the 2001 Kaiser Women's Health Survey, a nationally representative sample of nearly 4,000 women between the ages of 18 and 64. Issue brief (.pdf) News Release: Mothers Still Carry Primary Responsibility for Family Health -- Tradeoffs Between Caring for Children and Job Earnings…

  • Survey on Public Knowledge and Attitudes on Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands

    Other Post

    G. Emergency Contraceptive Pills, or Morning-After Pills G1. If a woman has just had sex and thinks she might become pregnant, is there anything that she could do in the next few days to prevent pregnancy, or not? Asked only in the U.S. USA18+ Yes, there is something 36% No, there is not anything 47% Too late to prevent pregnancy (Vol.) 1% Not sure/Refused 17% G2. Have you ever heard of morning-after pills, also called…

  • Analysis: Opportunities Under the ACA for Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Women With HIV

    News Release

    An estimated 36 percent of women in the U.S. report having experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), also called domestic violence, but among HIV positive women 55 percent report such experiences. A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis looks at opportunities to address IPV in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that could help women who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV. The analysis, HIV, Intimate Partner Violence and Women: New Opportunities Under the Affordable Care Act, looks…