About this Research Topic
As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, the scrutiny and debate surrounding health policy is intensifying. Health policy remains a central issue in the US political discourse. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022, thus revoking federal protection of abortion rights, it is clear that the outcome of this year’s election will have significant implications for women's health and wellbeing—both in the US and globally via foreign policy. For this reason, there is an urgent need to explore how current and proposed health policies can shape the future of women's healthcare.
This call for papers seeks to compile a comprehensive collection of studies that advance the understanding of how US health policies influence women's health outcomes, access to healthcare, and overall wellbeing both in the US and beyond.
We are particularly interested in empirical research, policy analysis, and theoretical papers that may encompass, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Reproductive health among marginalized and minoritized communities
- Effects of federal and state policies on reproductive health among sexual and gender minorities, young people, survivors of sexual violence, ethnic minorities, immigrants (e.g., asylum seekers) and other historically oppressed or disenfranchised groups.
• Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
- Effects of federal and state policies on access to contraception, abortion, and fertility-related services.
- Impact of policy changes on maternal health outcomes and maternity care services.
• Impact of policy changes on medical education, residency training, and retention of physicians and workforce interested in providing contraception, abortion, and fertility-related services Healthcare Access and Affordability
- Analysis of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and subsequent reforms on women's health insurance coverage.
- Barriers to healthcare access for women in rural and underserved communities, including ethnic and socioeconomic disparities.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Influence of mental health policies on the provision of services for women, including postpartum depression care.
- Intersection of gender, mental health, and healthcare policy (e.g., trauma-informed care, survivor-centered care for survivors of gender-based violence).
• Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health
- Exploration of how health policies address or exacerbate health disparities among women of different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Impact of structural and social determinants like food insecurity, water insecurity, poverty, housing, education, and employment on women's health as mediated by policy.
• Innovations and Future Directions
- Promising interventions or program evaluations with policy implications.
- Emerging health policy innovations aiming to improve women's health outcomes.
- Forward-looking analyses on potential policy changes and their implications for women's health
This call for papers seeks to compile a comprehensive collection of studies that advance the understanding of how US health policies influence women's health outcomes, access to healthcare, and overall wellbeing both in the US and beyond.
We are particularly interested in empirical research, policy analysis, and theoretical papers that may encompass, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Reproductive health among marginalized and minoritized communities
- Effects of federal and state policies on reproductive health among sexual and gender minorities, young people, survivors of sexual violence, ethnic minorities, immigrants (e.g., asylum seekers) and other historically oppressed or disenfranchised groups.
• Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
- Effects of federal and state policies on access to contraception, abortion, and fertility-related services.
- Impact of policy changes on maternal health outcomes and maternity care services.
• Impact of policy changes on medical education, residency training, and retention of physicians and workforce interested in providing contraception, abortion, and fertility-related services Healthcare Access and Affordability
- Analysis of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and subsequent reforms on women's health insurance coverage.
- Barriers to healthcare access for women in rural and underserved communities, including ethnic and socioeconomic disparities.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Influence of mental health policies on the provision of services for women, including postpartum depression care.
- Intersection of gender, mental health, and healthcare policy (e.g., trauma-informed care, survivor-centered care for survivors of gender-based violence).
• Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health
- Exploration of how health policies address or exacerbate health disparities among women of different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Impact of structural and social determinants like food insecurity, water insecurity, poverty, housing, education, and employment on women's health as mediated by policy.
• Innovations and Future Directions
- Promising interventions or program evaluations with policy implications.
- Emerging health policy innovations aiming to improve women's health outcomes.
- Forward-looking analyses on potential policy changes and their implications for women's health
Keywords: US health policy, women's health, women's wellbeing, health policy, health equity, affordable care act, abortion, reproductive rights, contraception
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
