Caitlin Bernard

When Dr. Caitlin Bernard became the face of a heated fight over the fallout from the end of Roe v. Wade, she was not new to talking about the consequences of abortion bans. But many of the people criticizing her were, as evidenced by their reactions to the reality of post-Roe America. After the Supreme Court’s June decision triggered a slew of new abortion bans around the country, Bernard, an ob-gyn in Indiana, told a local newspaper about a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio for an abortion because her state had outlawed the procedure after about six weeks. The story went viral, and the Indiana attorney general opened an investigation into Bernard despite records showing she acted appropriately. When Indiana passed a near total abortion ban in August, ­Bernard vowed to fight for her patients “with every fiber of my being.” Despite the threats and harassment she faces, Bernard is a model for physicians’ speaking out about the implications of laws that cut off access to abortion and other care for millions of Americans.

Write to Abigail Abrams at abigail.abrams@time.com.