In tough times, we remind ourselves that we face so much opposition because our fight for equality, justice, and reproductive freedom is powerful. Why would the backlash be so intense if our call for a better future wasn’t so strong, inspiring, and full of hope?

There’s no skirting around it – it's a difficult time to be an advocate, provider, and patient of sexual and reproductive health care. The good news? That’s more than half the population – and we’re standing strong despite what we’re up against.  

As a leading health care provider, educator, and advocate in an abortion and gender-affirming care access state, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York is striving to meet the demands of today, tomorrow, and the future. We are a lifeline to people seeking gender-affirming hormone therapy, young people who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, people who need HIV or STI testing delivered without stigma or judgment, those who live and work on the street, immigrants without insurance, and so many more who experience immense barriers to care.  

We couldn’t be prouder of the PPGNY team, whose commitment to these patients and our greater community is unwavering, compassionate, and fierce, especially in the face of the anti-abortion sentiment, xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, and misogyny that is plaguing our culture and our legislative bodies. Every day here, we see reproductive freedom in action and the work toward a New York truly built on values of inclusion, diversity, and equality.   

We provided high-quality, compassionate care to over 88,000 patients across the state this year. We also celebrated a critical win for reproductive health access with the launch of our Virtual Health Center. Now, PPGNY patients anywhere in the state can access a number of services from the comfort of their home, including medication abortion, birth control, gender affirming care, emergency contraception, and more. Since many parts of New York are rural, this means less time in the car on your way to your appointment and more time to focus on yourself. We’re proud to have provided 4,757 telehealth appointments this year, including 562 medication abortion visits, and we look forward to more!  

We commit to being here for our patients, now and always, through these tough times and beyond. Our patients are the fabric of who we are, and in ensuring that we can continue to provide the quality care New Yorkers deserve, we honor our commitment to building a world of reproductive freedom and equity with all the tools at our disposal.   

Always remember this: Our mission was born from resistance—built to fight against oppression and rise to moments like this. Our history of fighting injustices and decades of building resources, forging alliances, and strengthening our resolve have prepared us for this moment. We will meet this moment with urgency, bold action, and an unwavering commitment to delivering sexual and reproductive health care - which will always include abortion and gender-affirming care. We celebrate good times, but we were designed to take action when times are tough.