WASHINGTON, DC, June 24, 2026 – Nearly one-third (30 percent) of women ages 18 to 49 in the US reported in 2024 and 2025 that their reproductive health needs were not being met, according to new data from the Reproductive Health Experiences and Access (RHEA) survey, a nationally representative survey of reproductive health access after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022.
Nationally, 16 percent of respondents said they did not get needed preventive gynecologic care and 10 percent said they did not get needed care for irregular or painful periods.
Seven percent of respondents reported delays or trouble getting the birth control they wanted in the past year, commonly citing cost, insurance challenges, and difficulty securing an appointment as the top reasons.
Barriers to reproductive health care were not spread evenly across the population. Researchers found young adults, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals were significantly more likely to report challenges to accessing reproductive health care.
In recent years, changes in federal and state policies have reshaped the reproductive health landscape, affecting where people can get care, what services are available, and how easy it is to find accurate information. The RHEA survey provides the greatest breadth of information on reproductive desires and experiences accessing reproductive health care post-Dobbs and includes more than 50,000 respondents, reflecting a national sample and 13 study states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
“The RHEA study aims to provide information on how individuals are experiencing reproductive health care and assessing their desires for pregnancy and birth control following Dobbs,” said Emily Johnston, principal research associate at the Urban Institute. “This initial set of findings shows nearly one-third of study respondents of reproductive age reported an unmet need for reproductive health care. In the months ahead, our RHEA study team will continue to share data-driven insights to help policy leaders make sense of the post-Dobbs landscape.”
Explore 13 fact sheets with findings on challenges to accessing reproductive health care in each study state. Additional RHEA products will be released in the coming months.
About the RHEA Study
The Reproductive Health Experiences and Access Study is a multiyear assessment of reproductive health access, experiences, and preferences following the 2022 US Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, especially among people facing barriers to care. For this study, the Urban Institute, the Reproductive Equity Action Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective are collaborating to produce evidence-based research findings through a large national survey and qualitative data collection in 13 states.
About the Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization founded on one simple idea: To improve lives and strengthen communities, we need practices and policies that work. For more than 50 years, that has been our charge. By equipping changemakers with evidence and solutions, together we can create a future where every person and community has the opportunity and power to thrive.
Media contact:
Katie Smith, Urban Institute: [email protected]; (202) 261-5709
