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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  • Speaker Biographies-20000418-bioseib-doc

    Other Post

    SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES MOLLYANN BRODIE, PH.D. Mollyann Brodie is Vice President, Director of Public Opinion and Media Research at the Kaiser Family Foundation. She directs a variety of public knowledge and survey-related projects. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Brodie was a Health Policy Fellow and Assistant Director of the Program on Public Opinion and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, where she co-edited Volume IV of the series on The Future of American…

  • SexSmarts Survey – “Safer Sex”, Condoms and “the Pill”

    Poll Finding

    As part of an on-going public information partnership called SexSmarts, seventeen and the Kaiser Family Foundation conduct nationally-representative surveys of teens 15 to 17 on issues related to their sexual health. This survey examines teens' knowledge and attitudes about "safer sex" and contraception (November 2000).Summary of Findings (.pdf)Toplines/Survey (.pdf)

  • Briefing Resource List-20000418-briefingresourcesapril_-doc

    Other Post

    Briefing Resource List The Gender of Politics:How (and How Much) Will Women Influence Election 2000?Tuesday, April 18, 2000Briefing ParticipantsOther ResourcesAnalysts and ResearchersPollstersWomen's Political OrganizationsVoter Education/InformationAdditional Voter Education WebsitesNational Political PartiesPolitical Analysts/StrategistsEmerging Issues in Reproductive Health, Program Contacts Briefing Participants Mollyann Brodie, PhD, Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Media ResearchTina Hoff, Director, Public Health Information and CommunicationsHenry J. Kaiser Family Foundation2400 Sand Hill RoadMenlo Park, CA 94025Press contact: Amy WeitzTel. 650.854.9400Fax. 650.854.7465E-mail: aweitz@kff.orgWebsite:…

  • Women’s Health Data Book: A Profile of Women’s Health in the United States

    Fact Sheet

    The Women's Health Data Book: A Profile of Women's Health in the United States, offers the latest data and trends on the wide range of health issues that affect women across their life spans. Published by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, the Data Book is edited by Dawn Misra, Ph.D. This book addresses social and economic factors and provides up-to-date information on chronic conditions, reproductive health, mental health, violence,…

  • Sexual Activity and Substance Use Among Youth

    Fact Sheet

    Teens and young adults face many pressures and decisions involving alcohol, drugs, and sexual activity decisions that often occur simultaneously. Almost one quarter of sexually active young people aged 15-24 report having sex without a condom because they were drinking or using drugs at the time. These findings are from a new national survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and released at a conference, Dangerous Liaisons: Substance Abuse and Sexual Behavior, sponsored by the…

  • Perceptions and Reality: How Safe Is the Pill? The Role of the Media, Healthcare Providers, and the Pharmaceutical Industry in Shaping American Women’

    Fact Sheet

    Perceptions and Reality: How Safe Is the Pill? The Role of the Media, Healthcare Providers, and the Pharmaceutical Industry in Shaping American Women' A fact sheet, Q&A and resource list prepared for a media briefing that focused on public perceptions and knowledge of the safety of birth control pills compared with the real facts about the risks and benefits. In addition, the program addressed how new information about the health effects of contraception is communicated…

  • Perceptions and Reality: How Safe Is the Pill? The Role of the Media, Healthcare Providers, and the

    Other Post

    Q4a. Thinking about where you get information about contraceptionand birth control, was your physician a major source, minor sourceor not a source at all of information about contraception/birthcontrol for you? (Rotate) NationalMenWomenMajor source 48% 32% 64% Minor source 17% 19% 15% Not a source at all 32% 46% 19% Don't know 2% 2% * Don't know 1% 1% * Q4b. Thinking about where you get information about contraceptionand birth control, was nurse or other health…

  • Teens on Sex: What They Say About the Media as an Information Source

    Other Post

    Teens on Sex: What They Say About the Media as an Information Source According to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a third (34%) of teens say some teens have sex because television and movies make it seem "normal" for teens to be sexually active. But, many teens also say that television and movies, after their teachers, parents, and friends, are important sources of information for them on pregnancy and birth control. Nearly…

  • Sex in the 90s: 1998 National Survey of Americans on Sex and Sexual Health 2

    Other Post

    16. Do you think sex education courses should ONLY teach abstinence -- that is NOT having sex until marriage -- OR should courses teach about BOTH abstinence AND give teens enough information to help them prevent unplanned pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases if they DO decide to have sex? 18 Only abstinence 81 Both 8 Don't know/Refused 100 17. Do you think that HIGH SCHOOL health clinics should provide young people with…