WATCH LIVE: Obama gives keynote address at Planned Parenthood gala

The speech was originally scheduled for Thursday evening, but was moved so the president and first lady Michelle Obama could spend more time in West, Texas, following the explosion at a fertilizer plant last week.

The speech follows a hard-fought election cycle in which women's health issues dominated several Senate campaigns and figured prominently in the race between Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

The presidential contest produced a record-breaking gender gap of 20 points, with women favoring Obama by 12 points.

In a statement Tuesday, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards praised Obama for doing "more than any president in history for women's health and rights." 

The event will honor prominent sex therapist Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), and actress Lena Dunham, creator of the HBO series “Girls.”

Read more on The Hill's Healthwatch blog.