<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3lEBmy_0wOV4bly00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3lEBmy_0wOV4bly00" width="2001" height="1501" ><figcaption>Planned Parenthood Generation Action set up for the event “Bodies, Rights and Frights” that they held on Oct. 17. From left to right: Jennifer Weah, Lydia Schnell, Fiorela Garcia, Ayushi Pandya, Lijun (Lisa) Wen and Alyssa Cornell. Missing from the photo are: Rebecca Xie, Jazhara (Jazz) Applewhite and Anika Drees. PHOTO COURTESY OF PPGA</figcaption></figure>Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) is one of many organizations on Stony Brook University’s campus advocating for sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for all people. PPGA offers a supportive environment for students seeking information on things like Planned Parenthood, contraceptives and Plan B to access these resources.Plan B is a morning-after emergency contraception that helps prevent pregnancy before it starts when taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex.“Our main focus is spreading awareness about reproductive rights and reproductive health, as well as giving the student body the information they need about their own reproductive and sexual health in order to make informed decisions about their body,” Ayushi Pandya, the president of PPGA and a junior majoring in biochemistry, said.Plan B is also offered and given out for free at every PPGA general board meeting and all tabling events. “On top of spreading information, we want to play another active role in activism,” Pandya said. “Last semester, we set up a few fundraisers for Palestine for menstrual hygiene access, and we hope to do something like that again.” PPGA fundraised almost $2,000 during the spring semester with various student organizations such as SB4Palestine, The Black Student Union and Stony Brook Peace Action. Reproductive rights are among the most discussed topics in the 2024 presidential election, since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade (1973) in 2022, ending the constitutional right to abortion access. Since then, 13 states have ceased nearly all abortion services and four states have enacted six-week bans. Anika Drees, the social media manager for PPGA and a junior majoring in political science, said that the club’s work “would drastically change if [former President Donald] Trump were to be elected.”“He could follow what he’s been saying lately on the campaign trail, where he gives the power back to the states to decide. In that case, we would still be able to function as a club and work on keeping access in the state of New York open,” Drees said. “On the other hand, if he goes along with what Project 2025 has laid out, Planned Parenthood may be at risk as a whole. Meaning, even just simple access to healthcare — which is much of what Planned Parenthood offers — is at risk.” PPGA has been doing their best to encourage students to get out and vote for the issues that matter the most to them. “With the election near, we’ve really just changed a couple of our posts and one of our GBMs,” Drees said. “We obviously want to urge people to get out and vote, but we also want to keep our core basis of having healthcare available to all. We have been posting and will post more about voting resources and how to vote on campus or by mail.”This semester PPGA has hosted several events, including a scavenger hunt dedicated to educating students on female reproductive anatomy, “Stained Glass with PPGA,” and “Flower to Empower” — events where students created flower crowns and debunked virginity myths. “I joined because I found it so interesting, and women’s healthcare is so overlooked, especially reproductive healthcare,” Pandya said. “I wanted to be a part of educating other students and people.”PPGA focuses on increasing access to contraception and Plan B on campus whenever possible. Currently, the club provides Julie — a morning-after pill that functions similarly to the generic Plan B brand. “Right now, our big focus is getting Plan B into vending machines. We’re currently stuck with actually getting the vending machines because we have to go through administration to do so,” Lisa Wen, the vice president of PPGA and a junior majoring in psychology, said. “Even though it’s come to a bit of a pause, we’re still not giving up with Plan B access.” The Student Health Services Pharmacy offers Plan B for a cost of $10, between Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Center for Prevention and Outreach also offers Plan B, free of cost, in the Stony Brook Union during the same time. “We’ve received a bunch of free Plan B [pills] that we pass out to students. Sometimes we get [direct messages] from students who may need them in an emergency because the ones on campus aren’t accessible 24/7,” Wen said. “Students deserve an option that is available at all times.” In this context of heightened awareness and urgency surrounding reproductive rights, students are motivated to engage with PPGA’s initiatives.“I’ve learned about so many different activists who have fought for women’s bodily rights and just for equality in general. Bringing awareness to those around us and building a new community is what having a club is all about; PPGA does a fantastic job at that,” Ahtesamul “Tes” Chowdhury, a regular attendee at the PPGA events and junior majoring in biology, said. Pandya emphasized the fulfillment that comes from witnessing the organization’s impact on students. “Being able to actually see the impact is one of the most fulfilling things about this, knowing that we’re letting students make the best decisions for their body regarding sex and reproduction,” Pandya said. </div></body>

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PPGA expands access to Plan B on campus

Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) is one of many organizations on Stony Brook University’s campus advocating for sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for all people. PPGA offers a supportive environment for students seeking information on things like Planned Parenthood, contraceptives and Plan B to access these resources.