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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  • KFF Examines Challenges in Navigating Coverage for Opill, the First Over-the-Counter Daily Oral Contraceptive Pill, Coming to Market Next Year 

    News Release

    As Opill—the first over-the-counter daily oral contraceptive pill in the United States—is expected to be available for purchase in early 2024, new research conducted by KFF examines barriers to its accessibility for consumers and challenges in providing insurance coverage for it. Based on interviews with nearly 80 representatives from private insurance plans, state Medicaid programs, chain pharmacies, and other key groups, the report provides a deeper view into the operational challenges in expanding access to…

  • Large Shares of Black Adults, Hispanic Adults, and Rural Residents are Unsure Whether to Believe Many False Health Claims  

    News Release

    Drawing on KFF’s Misinformation Pilot Poll, KFF today released three follow-up reports examining exposure to, and belief in, health misinformation among Black adults, Hispanic adults, and rural communities. As with the general public, large shares within each group are uncertain about whether each of 10 false health claims are true or not, describing them as either “probably true” or “probably false.” This uncertainty leaves people vulnerable to misinformation but also provides an opportunity to combat…

  • Limited Access to Paid Family Leave

    Feature

    Most people will need to take time off work to care for themselves or their families at some point, but only one in five (21%) workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. Congress is considering creating a universal paid family and medical leave program as part of the Build Back Better Act.

  • Updated Women’s Health State Data: Interactive Dashboard

    News Release

    Interested in keeping up with the most recent state specific women's health data and policies? The newly updated and upgraded KFF State Profiles for Women's Health interactive dashboard offers the latest national and state data and policies women’s health, from health insurance coverage to abortion policy changes. This easy-to-use visual dashboard allows you to explore a broad range of state-level statistics and policies of importance to women including health status, insurance, and Medicaid coverage, use…

  • Medication Abortion in the Courts: What’s at Stake?

    News Release

    Access to medication abortion has emerged as a central issue following the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. There is ongoing litigation in four federal cases about the FDA’s approval and regulation of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortion. Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000, has a long record of safety and effectiveness and has been used by more than 5 million people in the United States. In the most…

  • Challenges to the FDA’s Approval of Medication Abortion Pills Could Curtail Access Throughout the United States

    News Release

    In anticipation of a ruling in a case with enormous implications for access to medication abortion in the United States, a new KFF brief explains the impact of this case, and others filed in federal courts, involving the FDA’s regulation of medication abortion. The case that has gotten the most attention recently is Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM) v. FDA, filed in November 2022, a challenge to the FDA’s decision to approve mifepristone (the first…

  • As the Courts Weigh the Future of the ACA’s Preventive Services Coverage, a New Analysis Shows that Most People with Private Insurance Received At Least One of Those Benefits in 2018

    News Release

    The provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires most private health plans to cover many preventive services without any cost-sharing for their enrollees is being challenged in federal court. The U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas in September concluded that aspects of the requirement were unconstitutional and violated religious rights but has allowed the provision to remain in effect while it considers a remedy. As the courts consider the ACA’s…