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.

Stay informed.

Stay informed.

Filter

641 - 650 of 874 Results

  • Post-Election Survey: Priorities for the 106th Congress

    Poll Finding

    A national voter survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health conducted shortly after the November congressional elections in 1998. The purpose is to gauge voters' priorities for the next Congress, both generally and with specific regard to health care issues. The survey also measures voter attitudes on Medicare and HMO reform, proposals to help the uninsured, and abortion. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. TOPLINE Download CHARTPACK…

  • KFF- What Teens Know and Don’t (But Should) About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

    Report

    A random-sample national survey of 400 teens, ages 15 to 17 years old about their awareness of and attitudes toward sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) - focusing primarily on STDs other than HIV/AIDS. The survey was conducted by telephone by Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Kaiser Family Foundation, MTV: Music Television and TEEN PEOPLE. TOPLINE Download CHARTPACK Download

  • New KFF Resources Provide the Latest Information on Public and Private Coverage of Contraceptives

    News Release

    Public programs and private health insurance now pay for the vast majority of contraceptive services and supplies for women. However, complex and shifting regulations shaped by state and federal policy, legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage provision, and other factors affect the scope of coverage. New resources from the Kaiser Family Foundation offer the latest information on options and requirements for contraceptive coverage. Private Insurance Coverage of Contraception. This policy brief explains…

  • Web Briefing for Media – The Supreme Court, Birth Control, and Religious Freedom: Implications of Zubik v. Burwell

    Event Date:
    Event

    On March 23, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Zubik v. Burwell, legal challenges brought by nonprofit corporations challenging the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage requirement. The 2014 Hobby Lobby decision established that certain firms with religious beliefs should be relieved of the requirement of paying for contraceptive coverage. In this case, religious nonprofits are objecting to the regulations that the Obama Administration has developed to accommodate their religious objections to birth control, claiming it…

  • New Interactive Profiles Women’s Health in Each State

    News Release

    The Kaiser Family Foundation has launched a new interactive map and dashboard that offers the latest national and state-specific data on women's health in the United States via comprehensive, easy-to-access state profiles.State Profiles for Women’s Health allows users to hover over a state in the map to see key facts for women on demographics, health coverage and access to care, sexual health, or pregnancy. Clicking on a state takes users to a dashboard of charts with state-specific…

  • Contraceptive-Only Plans: Questions and Answers

    Perspective

    In this post on The Huffington Post, Alina Salganicoff and Laurie Sobel offer a Q&A on “contraceptive-only” plans, an approach mentioned during oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court case Zubik v. Burwell. In the Zubik case, a group of religiously affiliated nonprofits with religious objections to providing birth control coverage seek an exemption from the Affordable Care Act's provision requiring most plans to offer such coverage without cost-sharing.

  • How Pending Health-Related Lawsuits Could be Impacted by the Incoming Trump Administration

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides an overview of current lawsuits in health policy including preventive services, abortion care, gender affirming care, Medicare drug price negotiations, nursing home staffing rules, private coverage consumer protections, and protections and health coverage for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients; how they may be affected by the incoming Trump administration; and the implications of their potential outcomes.

  • Compare the Candidates on Health Care Policy

    Feature

    The side-by-side comparison tool provides a quick overview of former President Trump's and Vice President Harris' records, positions, public statements, and proposed policies on a range of key health care topics.

  • The Impact of Medicaid and Title X on Planned Parenthood

    Issue Brief

    This KFF analysis demonstrates the impact the exclusion of Planned Parenthood from Medicaid and the Title X funding freeze may have on low-income and uninsured individuals who get their family planning care at Planned Parenthood.