Lately, people have been asking us a common question, “What is it like leading Planned Parenthood of Greater New York in these tough times?” or, more personally, “How are you holding up?"

Our honest answer: every day the fight is harder, the stakes are higher, and our courageous team is more determined than ever.  

So how are we? We’re fired up for the fight ahead.

Planned Parenthood is facing attacks from nearly every direction — executive orders, legal challenges, state bans, and relentless culture‑war rhetoric. These coordinated efforts threaten every part of our work — access to birth control, sex education for teens, and, most aggressively, abortion and gender‑affirming care.

We also face existential threats on the horizon, including politically motivated attempts to roll back FDA approval of the abortion pill, restrict young people from evidence-based sexual health programming, and "defunding" Planned Parenthood by disqualifying our patients from using Medicaid and Title X Family Planning grants. This next round of looming threats could reshape sexual and reproductive health care and education for millions of people across the country - more than has happened already, and for generations to come.

Let us be clear: Planned Parenthood of Greater New York is not backing down. Our work is driven by science, informed by evidence, and fully compliant with the law. We will overcome these egregious attacks by standing firm in our principles and fearless in our approach. As Cecile Richards reminds us, when future generations ask, “When so much was at stake for our country, what did you do?” we will be able to answer with confidence: “Everything we could.”

These attacks are, at their core, attacks on the health, dignity, and fundamental freedoms of the people who rely on Planned Parenthood most — Black, Latine, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities that have long faced systemic inequities. Even here at home, far too many New Yorkers who are uninsured or living on low incomes are confronted with trade‑offs no one should have to make — delaying treatment for a UTI because paying for groceries comes first, or stretching their rent budget at the expense of continuing gender‑affirming hormone therapy. These are not personal failings; they are the outcomes of policies that devalue certain bodies, families, and futures more than others. 

Your support helps shift that balance. It ensures that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York patients do not have to make these impossible choices. It allows them to access the care they need so they can focus their time, resources, and energy where they belong: on their families, their education, their dreams, and their futures. 

Amid the challenges, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York is achieving meaningful wins. This year, we provided high‑quality, compassionate care to more than 87,000 patients across New York. We expanded services by launching a prophylactic medication program for STI prevention and by increasing access to 1‑day procedural abortion care. Patients can now pick up medication abortion pills prescribed by PPGNY at their local CVS pharmacy — another step toward reducing barriers and improving health outcomes for the people who need us most. 

Times are tough now and will continue to get tougher, but so will we. Each attack only strengthens our resolve, fuels our advocacy, and deepens our commitment to building a future where reproductive health, rights, and justice are realities. 

We will never stop fighting and never stop building toward a better, brighter future for everyone. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being there for Planned Parenthood – because Planned Parenthood will always be there for you.

Wendy Stark
President & CEO