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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731 - 740 of 872 Results

  • Poll Finds Most Americans Oppose the Trump Administration’s Changes to Restrict Title X Family Planning Funds from Clinics that also Provide or Refer for Abortion

    News Release

    A new KFF poll of the public’s views on reproductive health issues finds most Americans, including majorities of women of reproductive age, are concerned that access to women’s reproductive health and preventive care services may be limited by the Trump administration’s changes to Title X, the nation’s federal family planning program. The poll examines the public’s views of major regulatory changes to the Title X program, which funds nearly 4,000 clinics nationally to pay for…

  • Final Title X Regulation Changes, Implications and What’s Ahead

    News Release

    On Monday, March 4, 2019, the Trump Administration published final regulations for the federal Title X family planning program that could dramatically reshape the safety-net program.  Some of the major changes in the new regulations focus on disqualifying providers who offer abortion services from the Title X program and banning participating providers from referring patients to others who can provide abortions. Clinics that have been offering women reproductive health care with the support of Title…

  • Web Briefing for Journalists – Reproductive Health in the Trump Era: Implications of Recent Federal and Judicial Action

    Event Date:
    Event

    The day after the midterm elections, the Trump Administration moved forward with anticipated regulatory changes governing employer exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate based on religious or moral objections. That same day, a proposed rule was issued changing how health plans in states that do not ban abortion coverage from their ACA Marketplace plans must separately bill and collect payments for that coverage. The Trump Administration has also proposed changes to…

  • Medicaid and Health Coverage for Low-Income Women in Pregnancy and After Childbirth

    Issue Brief

    KFF's Usha Ranji's testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health on September 10, 2019 describes describes the role of Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum women, including differences in eligibility between states and efforts to strengthen postpartum care and coverage for women enrolled in Medicaid. 

  • Welfare Policy and Reproductive Health: Abstinence Unless Married Programs

    Other Post

    In recent years, there has been an increasing federal role in supporting efforts to reduce the incidence of childbirth outside of marriage and decrease teen pregnancy rates through specialized programs. The 1996 welfare law provided a new incentive for states to use federal matching funds to establish educational programs that promote abstinence from sex unless married. This issue brief summarizes current federal and state policies on abstinence unless married programs, highlights the current state of…

  • National Survey of Women about their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding their Reproductive Health

    Report

    Survey of Women About Their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Their Reproductive Health Glamour; Kaiser Family Foundation; Princeton Survey Research Associates Summary of Major Findings February 1997 The Kaiser Family Foundation partnered with Glamour magazine on a national survey to find out how much women know about their reproductive health care needs and whether they are taking important steps to protect their reproductive health, covering such critical issues as: routine gynecological exams,contraception, emergency contraception, sexually…

  • Young People Have Mixed Views On Abortion; But Strong Support For Sex Education And Gay Rights-3069

    Poll Finding

    Young people have mixed opinions on abortion, but strong positions on comprehensive sex education, HIV/AIDS policies, and gay rights, all hot button issues that could be affected by the upcoming presidential campaign, according to a new national survey of 18-24 year-olds released today by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV's "Choose or Lose" campaign. Seventy percent of young people say that whatever their own opinion on abortion, they favor a woman having the…

  • Women’s Access to Care:  A State-Level Analysis of Key Health Policies

    Report

    Women's Access to Care: A State-Level Analysis of Key Health Policies State policies play a critical role in shaping women's access to health care. With authority over several important policy issues and the power to legislate, regulate, and enact programs that address women's needs, state policymakers have tackled several issues of importance to women. Women's Access to Care: A State-Level Analysis of Key Health Policies, prepared by the National Women's Law Center and Kaiser Family…

  • Emergency Contraceptive Pills

    Fact Sheet

    - Fact Sheet This fact sheet is an update on emergency contraception (EC). It includes information on EC methods, safety and side effects, and access issues. The fact sheet also provides information women's knowledge and use as well as health care provider attitudes and practices. Fact Sheet (.pdf)