Official news of her departure came after numerous media outlets this week reported that she planned to step down.
"Leading Planned Parenthood over the last 12 years has been the honor of my lifetime," Richards said in a release. "Together, we have made real progress in this country, expanding access to services and making reproductive rights a central priority of our nation's health care system. I'm deeply proud of the progress we've made for the millions of people Planned Parenthood health centers serve across the country each year."
During her time at Planned Parenthood, Richards built the organization’s base from 3 million to 11 million supporters, grew the group’s donor base, and fought to expand access to birth control and preventative care under the Affordable Care Act, Planned Parenthood said.
Over the past decade, we‘ve faced down challenges that once seemed impossible and found new ways to speak our truth. Most importantly, we’ve helped Planned Parenthood patients get the care they needed — and that won’t change. @CecileRichards has a message on what’s next: pic.twitter.com/Qy1N2lPXCs
— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) January 26, 2018
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