Insider News April 2023
In this issue:
- President & CEO Message
- Health Care: Black Maternal Health Week
- Education: Supporting LGBTQ Youth: The Kids are Alright
- Advocacy & Government Relations: Tell New York’s Elected Leaders to Fund Abortion Access
- You can continue to make Care. No Matter What. possible!
- In Case You Missed It
Dear Friends,
We are facing yet another politically motivated attack on abortion care access. Last week, a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al that could severely compromise access to medication abortion for the entire country. The judge declared the FDA approval of mifepristone unlawful, threatening the 22-year approval of one of two medications in the most common medication abortion regimen in the United States. If allowed to stand, this is the biggest blow to abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Let us be clear: political ideology is being prioritized over public health. Mifepristone is safe, effective, and has been used by more than 5 million people in the U.S. since the FDA approved it more than 20 years ago. However, it is not the only method of medication abortion available.
PPHP is dedicated to continuing to offer both in-clinic and medication abortions at our health centers.
As always, PPHP will follow evidence-based standards to provide safe, high-quality abortion care and information to patients who come to us for care.
We’re sure you have more questions as this murky legal landscape continues to evolve. I will be hosting a call on Wednesday, April 19 at 4 p.m. to discuss this pivotal moment for abortion access and answer your questions. You can RSVP here, I hope to see you there.
Thank you for your continued support of PPHP. We could not do this work without you. To get the latest information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to learn what is happening at PPHP and issues related to sexual and reproductive health care.
In this together,
Vincent Russell
President & CEO
Health Care: Black Maternal Health Week
April 11-17 is Black Maternal Health Week. Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s reproductive justice partners, The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), founded Black Maternal Health Week in 2018 to raise awareness of racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes and encourage community-driven solutions that focus on Black women — a community three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
PPHP is proud to offer prenatal care, including the CenteringPregnancy program. CenteringPregnancy is a unique style of group prenatal care that aims to build a community that empowers pregnant people to be actively involved in their own care and equips them to make healthy choices throughout their pregnancy and beyond. Studies have shown that CenteringPregnancy nearly eliminates racial disparities in pre-term birth.
Systemic racism is one of the many factors causing pregnancy-related deaths among Black women. We want Black parents everywhere to have equitable access to health care and community resources to combat the Black maternal mortality crisis.
This month, CenteringPregnancy launched in our Yonkers health care center. It is also available at our New Rochelle health care center. Traditional prenatal care is also available at our Yonkers, New Rochelle, Patchogue, Smithtown, and White Plains health centers. For more information about our prenatal program, including CenteringPregnancy, visit www.pphp.org/prenatal.
Education: Supporting LGBTQ Youth: The Kids are Alright
Our Community Health Educator’s experience at the PrideWorks conference is a shining example of the impact of educational workshops offered by our Education & Training team.
The power of the conference on LGBTQ youth is best read from the words of our Community Health Educator:
I had the amazing experience of participating in this year’s PrideWorks conference, which centers LGBTQ youth and the adults who support them. It was heartwarming and healing to see all different ages of LGBTQ people in one space.
I taught a workshop on LGBTQ affirming sex education, based on lessons I have learned throughout my years as a sex educator. As a member of the LGBTQ community, and as an educator, it was such an affirming experience to teach on a topic that is so close to my heart. I taught two classes, both of which were full of young people excited to be here and queer, so to speak.
Together, participants and I explored the need for sex education that explicitly prioritizes LGBTQ experiences and identities. We brainstormed and discussed myriad ways sex education can better serve LGBTQ youth, and in turn, enrich all young people who participate in it. Giving this lively group of young people a prompt and watching them divide into groups to have fascinating conversations about it gave me so much hope. Their comments and questions were astute and thoughtful. The kids really are alright.
To learn more about our Education and Training programs, please visit: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-hudson-peconic/local-education-training
Advocacy & Government Relations: Tell New York’s Elected Leaders to Fund Abortion Access
For those looking to take action in response to the recent ruling in Texas on mifepristone, we have ways to get involved.
Blocking mifepristone could make abortion and miscarriage care harder to get across the country—including in New York. However, there are actions New York’s elected leaders CAN and MUST take to expand and ensure abortion access in New York.
Tell your Senator or Assembly Member to fund abortion access in our budget! We have drafted letters to tell your elected leaders, with options to personalize your message. Send yours here.
We also want to thank our activists who joined us for Craftivism Night on April 10th! It was a great evening filled with creativity and activism.
If you’re interested in joining us for future events, check out our Monthly Activist Calendar for more ways to get involved in PPHP Advocacy efforts. Our upcoming events are also listed below.
PPHP’s 90th Anniversary: A Moment in History
In honor of PPHP’s 90th Anniversary, we will be answering a question about our organization’s history each month.
What is the history of PPHP in Rockland County?
A small group of Rockland women came together in 1936 to establish the Rockland County Birth Control Committee. By spring 1937, they had opened a walk-in clinic in Spring Valley. A fire destroyed the clinic in the early 1940s, but the committee found a new home for the clinic in Nyack. In the post-WWII years, the clinic was renamed Planned Parenthood of Rockland County, and was visited several times by Margaret Sanger.
Financial difficulties compelled the closure of Planned Parenthood of Rockland County in 1956. Again, a small group of volunteers convened and on April 1, 1969, Planned Parenthood Rockland reopened in West Nyack. In 1993, Planned Parenthood Rockland officially merged with Planned Parenthood of Westchester, to become Planned Parenthood Westchester and Rockland.
Be sure to mark your calendars and share these events with your friends and family.
PPHP CEO Update on Mifepristone
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Virtual
More information here
Youth Lobby Day
Monday, April 24, 2023
Virtual and In-Person
More information here
Storytelling Workshop: For LGBTQ+ Community Members
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Virtual
More information here
Making Waves in Huntington
Thursday, May 11, 2023
The Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport
More information here
Making Waves: PPHP’s Hamptons Benefit
Saturday, June 3, 2023
The Clubhouse, East Hampton
More information here
For more information, visit our Calendar of Events. We look forward to seeing you!
You can continue to make Care. No Matter What. possible!
A monthly gift to PPHP ensures security for patients in your local communities. Consider joining our Monthly Giving Program today at www.pphp.org/donatetoday.
Double your impact! Does your employer have a matching gift program? Check with your Human Resources Department to find out. For questions, contact the Development Department at [email protected].
Committed to safeguarding the future of reproductive health care? Consider leaving a legacy gift to PPHP in your will. Please contact the Development Department at [email protected].
Do you have a little bit of time to get more involved? Visit www.pphp.org for ways you can help.
New York Times: Are Abortion Pills Safe? Here’s the Evidence.
The Cut: Having the Period Talk for the First Time
SheKnows: If You’re Raising a Trans Kid, Here’s How To Protect Them — & Their Privacy
Activists at our Craftivism event on 4/10