Opinion: Anti-abortion laws have been devastating for women. We must vote.

NEW YORK CITY — We’re two years into a post-Roe America, and the real effects have taken hold. It's what many of us knew would happen.

A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that there was a 7% rise in infant mortality rates in the 18 months following the Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. There was a 10% increase in deaths of infants with underlying conditions.

The United States has also seen an increase in pregnancy-related deaths since 2019. Most of these deaths are thought to be preventable. Complications disproportionately affect Black women, who are three times more likely to die giving birth than white women.

Hundreds of infants died. Hundreds of women had to experience pregnancy – a physically demanding, emotionally exhausting feat – only to be faced with profound grief.

Meanwhile, hospitals are closing maternity wards and doctors are being driven from states with intense abortion restrictions, leading to maternity care deserts.

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Draconian abortion bans have also been linked to the deaths of two women in Georgia. Amber Nicole Thurman died after doctors delayed care due to the state’s six-week ban. Candi Miller died after experiencing rare complications with a medication abortion. Both women left children behind.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recently mocked Thurman’s family.

Despite what Republican lawmakers think, abortion is health care. All women deserve to make their own decisions about whether to terminate a pregnancy. Yet abortion is outlawed in 13 states with no exceptions, thanks to Trump’s decision to appoint three pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Abortion is a clear issue of concern for women. Vote like it.

For a significant portion of the population, abortion is the issue driving them to the polls. In a recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, 1 in 5 of those who already voted said "abortion rights/women's rights" was their most important issue, second only to the economy/inflation.

It was certainly on mine when I went to go vote on Sunday in Brooklyn. New York is one of 10 states with abortion on the ballot. Two of them – Nevada and Arizona – are considered toss-up races, with Florida likely Republican.

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My hope is that other young women – the people directly affected by abortion bans – feel motivated enough to vote on the issue.

We must remember what we once had, and not give up on the hope of returning to the provisions of Roe v. Wade.

Republicans can't be trusted to protect women

Vice President Kamala Harris has made abortion rights the focal point of her campaign. The Democratic presidential nominee has said multiple times that she would sign legislation codifying the provisions of Roe v. Wade into law. In a recent interview with CBS News, she underscored her dedication.

“My first priority is to put back in place those protections and to stop this pain, and to stop this injustice that is happening around our country,” Harris said.

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But it’s about more than Harris; it’s about Democrats regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, maintaining their majority in the Senate and abolishing the filibuster so that this legislation can actually make it to a president’s desk.

Trump has said that he would not sign a federal abortion ban. But running mate JD Vance, at the vice presidential debate, said that he supported a “minimum national standard” for abortion – in other words, a ban. Republicans across the country are fighting abortion rights in their state. If Trump returns to the White House, that will only get worse.

I hope that we will see a repeat of the 2022 midterm elections, when voters supported abortion access at the polls and prevented the impending red wave.

As a young woman, this was one of the issues that I thought about the most when walking to my polling place. I hope it is one that others will consider when they cast their ballots.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Peque?o on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Trump, Republicans can't be trusted to protect women