Planned Parenthood clinics now offering hormone replacement therapy, menopause care

Philadelphia-area women can now seek relief from hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause symptoms from a health provider better known for supporting their reproductive choices earlier in life.

Planned Parenthood clinics around the region are now offering menopause hormone replacement therapy and perimenopause care and will begin providing vasectomies next year, in an effort to reach more patients and diversify services at a time when the nonprofit’s federal funding remains under fire because it is the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Local Planned Parenthood clinics lost millions of dollars this year when Republicans prevented the organization from billing Medicaid for services, and some were forced to stop accepting patients with the publicly funded insurance coverage. Medicaid access was restored in July, but conservatives who oppose abortion have vowed to pursue more funding cuts after the midterm elections this fall.

One way clinics have responded to ongoing financial and political attacks is by adding services that attract new patients who can pay out-of-pocket or with private insurance.

New patients accounted for nearly a third of the 350 patients who came to Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania clinics for menopause treatment last year, when the service was rolled out.

The program has been popular in part because patients can typically get appointments within a week, said Dayle Steinberg, CEO of the Southeastern Pennsylvania affiliate, which operates clinics in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.

Planned Parenthood Keystone began offering menopause and perimenopause care at its clinics in Allentown, Bensalem, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading, Wilkes-Barre, and York earlier this month.

The Keystone affiliate plans to begin offering vasectomies at its Allentown location next year.

“When we look at ways to be resilient, looking at service opportunities that speak to people of a variety of ages, sexual orientation and gender is going to be vital,” said Melissa Reed, CEO of the Keystone affiliate.

With roughly 600 health centers nationally, Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the country. It is also a leading resource for family planning, sexual health education, and gynecological care, often operating in underserved communities where patients are more likely to be uninsured or covered by government insurance.

At the Southeastern Pennsylvania network, eight out of 10 patients come for routine exams, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, family planning guidance, or other reproductive healthcare.

The clinics serve women and men and provide gender-affirming care.

» READ MORE: Inside Planned Parenthood

Local Planned Parenthood leaders said the new menopause services are a natural extension of the organization’s reproductive healthcare.

“For so long, women’s symptoms in menopause have been dismissed or ignored,” Reed said. “This is an important part of a woman’s reproductive health journey.”

The organization is also capitalizing on surging interest in menopause and perimenopause in recent years, as high-profile public figures speak out about a midlife challenge long considered taboo. Revised health guidance now underscores the safety and benefits of treatment options.

As a result, doctors often have long waitlists for appointments. And pharmacies struggle to keep in stock the hormone medications that have gained popularity as a way to control side effects, such as hot flashes, disrupted sleep, and bone degeneration.

Planned Parenthood providers can counsel patients on hormonal and emotional changes associated with menopause and perimenopause, and write prescriptions for hormone therapy or other medications.

Planned Parenthood faced a financial crisis when President Donald Trump’s 2025 signature spending plan included new rules that prevented the organization from billing Medicaid for services.

The two Philadelphia-area affiliates estimated they would lose about $3 million in revenue. The Keystone clinics temporarily stopped accepting Medicaid patients.

» READ MORE: Josh Shapiro sues Trump administration over Planned Parenthood cuts

They resumed seeing Medicaid patients in July, when the ban was lifted at the end of the fiscal year.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania affiliate relied on fundraising and donations to continue caring for Medicaid patients who were no longer able to pay.

But leaders acknowledged the approach was unsustainable.

“This isn’t something you can fundraise your way out of,” Signe Espinoza, vice president of public policy and advocacy at the Southeastern Pennsylvania affiliate told The Inquirer in March. “We don’t want to turn patients away, but we know that eating the cost is not a sustainable model.”

The organization has since begun offering more advanced OB-GYN services and expanded clinic hours. Leaders routinely survey community members to learn more about what other services they would like to see at Planned Parenthood.

Some of the ideas patients and community members have suggested include postpartum and prenatal care, and fertility services.

The organization isn’t ready to expand to include those types of services yet, but “we’re feeling much more optimistic in our ability to move forward,” Steinberg said.