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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701 - 710 of 870 Results

  • National Survey of Women’s Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health: Emergency Contraception

    Poll Finding

    National Survey of Women's Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health: Emergency Contraception The Kaiser Family Foundation's 2001 National Survey of Women's Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health is a national random-sample survey of 790 physicians, including 595 obstetrician and gynecologists and 195 family practice physicians, internists, and general practitioners. Toplines/Survey: National Survey of Women's Health Care Providers on Reproductive Health: Emergency Contraception

  • Promoting Access to Prenatal Care: Lessons from the California Experience

    Other Post

    Improving access to prenatal care has been a public policy priority in the United States for the past 15 years. This report and issue brief, prepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation by Paula Braveman, M.D. of the University of California, San Francisco and others, examine the impact of the Medicaid pregnancy-related expansions and reforms in California during the late 1980s and 1990s on the use of prenatal care. Report Issue Brief

  • 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

  • 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…

  • Health News Index – March/April 2003

    Poll Finding

    Health News Index March/April, 2003 The Health News Index measures public attention to and knowledge about leading health stories covered in the news in February and March. The Health News Index is designed to help news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories Americans are following and what they understand about those issues. Summary of Findings Topline/Survey

  • Link to the Women’s Research and Education Institute

    Other Post

    Baby Boom to Generation X: Progress in Young Women's Health Baby Boom to Generation X: Progress in Young Women's Health, by Alina Salganicoff, Barbara Wentworth, and Liberty Greene of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a chapter from The American Woman 2003-2004, Daughters of a Revolution--Young Women Today, Cynthia Costello, Vanessa Wight, and Anne J. Stone, editors. The chapter explores the changes that have taken place in young women's health over the past twenty-five years. It discusses…

  • Sex Education in the U.S.: Policy and Politics

    Other Post

    This issue brief examines the federal, state and local policies that guide approaches to sex education today. It also examines recent research into community-level experiences and practices, as well as emerging evidence about the effectiveness of different types of sex education curricula. Issue Update:

  • 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:

  • Health News Index – November/December 2002

    Poll Finding

    Health News Index November/December, 2001 The Health News Index measures public attention to and knowledge about leading health stories covered in the news in October and November. The Health News Index is designed to help news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories Americans are following and what they understand about those issues. Summary of Findings Topline/Survey