National

California folic acid rule reshapes tortillas — and birth defect risk

AI meets egg freezing

Surrogacy laws are all over the map

A choropleth map categorizing U.S. states by legal status of surrogacy arrangements. Gestational and genetic surrogacy is enforceable in 15 states, Gestational surrogacy is enforceable in 14, and surrogacy is unregulated in 15.

Legal status of surrogacy agreements, 2026

Data: Surrogacy360; Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios

Surrogacy goes more mainstream

A column chart that shows annual gestational carrier cycles reported by U.S. clinics from 2004 to 2023. Cycles rose from 1,539 in 2004 to 11,515 in 2023, the peak.

Gestational carrier cycles reported by U.S. clinics

Data: Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology via American Society for Reproductive Medicine; Chart: Axios Visuals

The steep cost of surrogacy

She was born via surrogate. Now she wants to become one.

Health Care Policy

Abortion pill fight puts GOP in a bind

Trump's surgeon general pick questioned birth control. Here's why women take it

More pregnant Americans are skipping prenatal care, CDC finds

A cartogram of the United States showing the change in the share of births receiving late or no prenatal care from 2021 to 2024. Late care is defined as care beginning in the third trimester. Overall, the share increased 1.0 percentage points. Increases were seen in 40 states and in D.C. Georgia had the largest increase at +3.5pp, and Arkansas had the largest decrease at -1.7pp.

Change in the share of births receiving late or no prenatal care from 2021 to 2024

Data: CDC; Note: Late care is defined as beginning in the third trimester; Map: Axios Visuals

Vitals

Axios Vitals

Charted: Abortion clinic access by state

A map showing the change in the number of clinics providing abortions from March 2024 to December 2025. Overall there's been a decrease of 2% in clinics. 19 states had a decrease in clinics, including Nebraska and Alaska (-33%). Nine states had an increase, including Ohio (33%), Wisconsin (25%) and Massachusetts (25%).

Change in number of clinics providing abortions from March 2024 to December 2025

Data: Guttmacher; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios

Back to Health

What's ahead in a post-Roe v. Wade world.

Abortion

RFK Jr.

Drug prices

Public health

The U.S. health system faces critical questions about cost, access and equity. Technological advances and new discoveries about diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s are transforming patient care and reshaping public health.

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