Naisha Mercury

Despite federal reforms like the First Step Act, incarcerated people across the country still struggle to access basic menstrual products, with only 25 states mandating that they be provided free of charge. Our new fact sheet, Bleeding Behind Bars: It Costs to Menstruate, examines the legislative landscape across all 50 states, the steep commissary prices that can consume over half of an incarcerated person's monthly income, and firsthand accounts of the indignity this crisis creates.

Overview Laws and policies that promote public health and health equity are designed to be effective for the broader population or specific demographics within the…

Overview March 26, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. CTThe past year was filled with federal actions that greatly impacted public health, both in the traditional sense…

Federal policies shape the environments that determine whether people and communities can live healthy lives. Since Donald Trump took office for his second term as president on January 20, 2025, he has signed a series of Executive Orders (EOs), many of which impact public health. The Network has created an EO tracker which compiles the 2025 EOs most relevant to the public health space through a lens of Health in All Policies (HiAP). Inclusion in this tracker is not exhaustive, and content may be updated or revised as additional Executive Orders are issued or identified.

This webinar will offer attendees an overview of changes in law and policy that impact access to reproductive health care directly or through indirect measures that deter pregnant people from seeking care. This webinar is an extension of a workshop held at the recent 2025 Public Health Law Conference and the bulk of the time will be devoted to attendees’ questions on the topics presented.

Menstrual health is a major area of reproductive health often overshadowed for the estimated 79.8 percent of those in carceral facilities of reproductive age. For some, menstrual hygiene products are easily accessible, whereas for others it is a constant struggle. Meaningful progress toward comprehensive menstrual equity for all incarcerated individuals remains limited and inconsistent across jurisdictions. 

As a result of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, advocates on both sides of the abortion issue turned to state constitutions to determine the contours of a right to abortion or to make clear no such right exists under state law. When abortion was on the ballot in 2022, voters in several states rallied to enshrine the right to abortion in state constitutions and rejected attempts to further restrict abortions in their states. In the wake of these successful ballot measures, state legislators throughout the country have sought to amend ballot initiative processes ahead of the 2024 elections. This fact sheet outlines recent proposed amendments by several states that are intended to thwart pro-abortion ballot initiatives.