I’m not sure if JD Vance has ever been to a fertility clinic. If he had, I think he would have been more careful with his words.

Vance, a few years before he was Donald Trump’s pick for a running mate, questioned in an interview whether Vice President Kamala Harris was fit to lead because she doesn’t have biological children. Now that he’s running to lead the country, those comments have resurfaced.

“How does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?” Vance said in 2021 of Democrats without biological children. He said he was referring to Harris, who was a stepmom of two teenagers; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who adopted twins with his husband; and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

His comments inspired women of all political leanings to respond. Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, said, “Vice President [Kamala Harris] is a proud mom of two remarkable stepchildren — and so am I. [Sen. Mark Kelly] and I were trying to have a baby through IVF before I was shot and that dream was stolen from us. To suggest we are somehow lesser is disgraceful.”

Meghan McCain, a Republican columnist, podcast host and daughter of late Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, sounded an alarm. “I have been trying to warn every conservative man I know — these JD comments are activating women across all sides, including my most conservative Trump supporting friends.

“These comments have caused real pain and are just innately unchristian,” she said. “This is not who we are.”

On World IVF Day Thursday, social media feeds were full of tributes to real heroes — the doctors, nurses and embryologists who help make dreams come true through in-vitro fertilization. It was also full of memes slamming and refuting Vance’s reckless comments.

It’s entirely possible — even probable — that Vance’s remarks were, as a Trump aide described, directed at women who can have children and choose not to. He didn’t target people who struggled to find the right partner or those who “for biological, medical reasons” can’t have children. Is that better?

Millions of women and men struggling with fertility — including his fellow Republicans — still heard him. If they didn’t hear his comments in 2021, they heard them when they resurfaced last week. In a close election where suburban women can determine who wins, these comments aren’t a good strategy.

The timing couldn’t be worse for the Trump campaign, which has lost some momentum to Democrats recently. And Republicans have had some ground to make up with women since Roe v. Wade fell.

And for Americans struggling through IVF, there’s never a good day to hear a comment that suggests you’re not valuable, whole or fit to lead simply because you don’t have biological children.

I’d think Vance, who was raised by his grandparents, would know better than anyone that the title of mom or dad doesn’t have much to do with being a good parent. Family is who consistently shows up for you. Family is about love, not blood. Stepparents have some of the most challenging, selfless and important jobs, and our nation owes them gratitude.

If Vance is concerned about women’s health, he should share plans to improve the economy — an area where Republicans tend to score high marks in polling. Many families are delaying having children because they can’t afford them. They can’t afford to buy homes. They struggle to afford healthcare like IVF, especially if insurance doesn’t provide coverage.

The vice-presidential candidate should reach out to families going through IVF. This amazing reproductive service can joyfully bring a healthy newborn into the world, but so often there’s heartbreak along the way. He should also talk to the nurses who have had to call a patient with the heartbreaking update that “it didn’t work this time.” He should talk to the doctors who dream with their patients and work diligently to craft the best care plans. He should talk to the embryologists who, with precision and expert care, play vital roles in the process.

Before a family ends up in an IVF clinic, they have likely suffered a loss. A miscarriage or multiple miscarriages. Or years of trying to conceive without success. A dream of a family that starts to feel like a nightmare.

In 2021, the same year Vance made his thoughtless comments, about 414,000 IVF cycles were performed in the U.S. It has been climbing each year. About 100,000 babies are born in the U.S. each year with the help of IVF, according to federal government data.

It takes a lot more than nine months to have a baby through IVF. It often takes longer than a year and more than one IVF cycle. It’s worth every shot, every surgery, every medical procedure and every dime, but it’s not easy. It’s some of the longest days and weeks a person lives through. It’s hope and heartache, a test of faith and science.

Maryland is fortunate to have world-class reproductive care at Shady Grove Fertility and Johns Hopkins. And for families who achieve pregnancy, Johns Hopkins offers renowned maternity care.

However, millions of women in the U.S. lack access to reproductive services and maternity care. So far, it seems like only Democrats are addressing this. Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris administration announced the first national standards for maternal health and safety. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore invested in childcare and healthcare as part of his budget.

Moore and other Democratic governors have risen in popularity in recent years. They all have one thing in common: they’re making women’s lives easier.

Unfortunately, Republicans have been making them harder with fights over abortion, IVF and birth control. And Vance’s words kicked families who are already down and struggling through infertility.

Women struggling to become moms already pray for mercy from God, doctors, scientists and insurance companies. They shouldn’t have to beg Republicans, too.

Candy Woodall is the opinion editor at The Baltimore Sun. She wants to know how you feel about JD Vance’s views and can be reached at cwoodall@baltsun.com.