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.

Subscribe to KFF Emails

Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here

Filter

721 - 730 of 871 Results

  • KFF Examines the Hyde Amendment and its Impact in States Without Abortion Bans

    News Release

    KFF takes a new look at the continued impact of the Hyde Amendment, the federal ban on payment for abortion services, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. At a moment when all eyes are on states that have banned abortion, the Hyde Amendment remains a barrier to abortion care for people with low incomes in states where abortion is legal but the state restricts Medicaid coverage to the narrow exceptions allowed under…

  • KFF Revisits Women Voters Previously Surveyed in June and Finds Significant Shifts in VP Harris’ Favor Across a Range of Key Election Issues

    News Release

    In a special follow-up poll of the same women voters who were previously interviewed in June (before President Biden announced he wouldn’t run for reelection), KFF finds substantial shifts in favor of Vice President Harris across a range of key election issues, including the handling of rising household and health care costs, as well as increased enthusiasm for the candidates and motivation to vote. As the presidential election draws near, the survey also shows a…

  • Access to Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services: Women’s Views and Experiences from the 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey

    Policy Watch

    This analysis, based on findings from the 2024 KFF Women's Health Survey, focuses on women with children ages 5 & under and their perceptions on how easy or difficult they feel it is to access a range of services that are important to the health of women and families, including maternity care, Medicaid coverage, food stamps, contraceptive services, and affordable childcare.

  • KFF Examines How Abortion Bans, Misinformation, and State Actions May Affect Access to Contraception

    News Release

    Following the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, uncertainty has emerged over whether the right to contraception could also be limited. Justice Thomas’ concurring opinion in Dobbs renewed attention and raised the possibility that other Supreme Court precedents relying on the same principles as Roe, such as the right of people to obtain contraceptives, could also be overturned. In response, legislative bodies at the state and federal level have debated, and in some cases…

  • A Growing Share of Voters See the Election as a Referendum on Abortion Access; Vice President Harris Holds a Strong Advantage on the Issue

    News Release

    Most voters (61%) now say that the outcome of this year’s presidential election will have a major impact on access to abortion in this country – up 10 percentage points from March, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. The shift has occurred mainly among Democratic and independent voters over a period of time that saw Vice President Harris become the Democratic presidential nominee and make protecting abortion access a key component of her campaign.…

  • National Survey Results on Public Knowledge/Opinions and OB/GYN Practice/Attitudes on Emergency Contraceptives (“Morning-After Pills”)

    Other Post

    Two New Surveys of American Public and Physicians: American Women Are Misinformed About Emergency Contraceptive Option; Once Explained, Many Say Would Be Likely to Use --Ethical and Safety Concerns Not Major Factors In Stated Likelihood to Use "Morning-After" Pills -- OB/GYNS Consider "Morning-After" Pills to be Safe and Effective; While Most Have Prescribed Within LastYear, Only to Handful of Patients -- Most Physicians Who Do Not Perform Abortions State No "Objections or Concerns" Prescribing Emergency…

  • 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,…

  • Alan Guttmacher Institute Press Release

    Other Post

    Susan Tew/Chris Kirchgaessner 212-248-1111 mediaworks@agi-usa.org EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 9:30 AM, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1999 U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVERWHELMINGLY PROMOTE ABSTINENCE, BUT NOT TO THE EXCLUSION OF CONTRACEPTIVE INFORMATION Still, One-Third Say Instruction Must Be "Abstinence-Only" and Prohibit or Distort Contraceptive Information Among the seven in 10 public school districts that have a district-wide policy to teach sexuality education, the vast majority (86%) require that abstinence be promoted, either as the preferred option for teenagers…