Last updated: August 8, 2026
Women’s rights in the United States continue to be shaped by a combination of federal policy changes, court decisions, and sharply different approaches among …
With a wink to the 1980s sitcom featuring four unrelated women sharing a Miami house, a handful of states have passed "Golden Girls" laws. These state laws, in …
Wisconsin voters will choose their parties' nominees for governor in the August 11 primary. While comprehensive voter guides cover the full range of issues facing the state, this WRDI …
As of July 2026 — Access to women’s healthcare continues to depend heavily on provider availability, insurance coverage, funding, and location. While some states are expanding maternal care, preventive screenings, and other women’s health services, provider shortages, clinic closures, and maternal care deserts continue to limit access in many communities. Medicaid, Title X, and changes to federal healthcare funding remain key areas to watch.
For decades, a federal law called EMTALA has guaranteed one basic promise: if you show up at a U.S. emergency room in crisis, the hospital is required to screen …
When states pass menopause insurance mandates, the headlines usually focus on private health plans. But roughly one in five American women between 50 and 64 rely on Medicaid, and until …
If you live in New Jersey, your health insurer is now required by law to cover hormone therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy, bone density screenings, and mental health care related …
For decades, menopause was treated as a private inconvenience, as something women managed quietly, insurers ignored, with little expectation of medical help or workplace acknowledgment. That is finally changing, and …
Project 2025 is a long-term policy blueprint created by a group of conservative organizations and led by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Released ahead of the …
A maternal care desert is a place where people who are pregnant or giving birth have a hard time getting maternity care. Sometimes there’s no hospital nearby that delivers …
Federal laws play a powerful role in shaping women’s rights in the United States. Even when enforcement and impact vary from place to place, these laws establish national standards …
North Carolina’s 12-week abortion law is now fully in effect, significantly changing how and when people can access care. The law, passed in 2023, reduced the previous 20- …
Wisconsin’s 2025–2026 legislative session has ended earlier than expected, leaving many proposed changes to women’s rights unresolved. While some policies moved forward—particularly in maternal and preventive …
A series of recent federal actions is increasing scrutiny of medication abortion, a method now used in over half of all abortions in the United States.
In March, lawmakers introduced …
Recent federal and state actions are putting pressure on the systems that many women rely on to get birth control. Over the past year, disruptions to federal Title X funding …
In February 2026, an Arizona state court struck down several abortion restrictions, ruling they conflicted with Proposition 139—a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2024 that protects abortion access …
Each March, Women’s History Month invites reflection on the progress women have made — and the work that remains. International Women’s Day (March 8) similarly serves as a global …
A California law requiring certain health insurance plans to cover infertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), took effect on January 1, 2026. It expands existing state requirements and applies …
Project 2025 is a long-term policy blueprint created by a group of conservative organizations and led by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Released ahead of the …
A maternal care desert is a place where people who are pregnant or giving birth have a hard time getting maternity care. Sometimes there’s no hospital nearby that delivers …
Federal laws play a powerful role in shaping women’s rights in the United States. Even when enforcement and impact vary from place to place, these laws establish national standards …
The word “protected” sounds definitive.
In everyday language, it suggests something settled—a right that’s been secured and placed out of reach of change. In law, the meaning is …
When people hear the phrase “abortion is healthcare,” it’s often assumed to be a political statement. In medicine, it isn’t. It’s a description of how pregnancy care …
