Angelina Jolie recently announced that she underwent surgery to have her ovaries removed, due to the fact that multiple women in her family have developed—and died from—ovarian cancer. This announcement comes just about two years after Jolie announced that she underwent a double mastectomy to remove her breast tissue, which was also due to the fact that multiple women in her family have developed breast cancer.
One of the most common words being used to describe Jolie after this most recent announcement is “brave.” While the word might seem cliché, it is undoubtedly true; and not only is Jolie brave for telling the world, she is actually doing something that is ultimately very important to people with these cancers, with family members who have these cancers, as well as women everywhere who could develop these cancers. Why? Let’s take a look at the two major reasons why it really matters that Angelina Jolie spoke out publicly about her ovarian surgery.
It helps reduce the stigma that women face regarding these types of surgeries
There is a certain type of stigma that women who have these types of preventative “removal” surgeries face. The stigma may be related to the fact that they are removing something which is considered part of their “feminine” self, such as their breasts or their ovaries; it could also be related to the general stigma regarding female health and reproductive health, which is often swept under a rug.
Reducing stigma is important because it helps people who have these cancers, or who may develop these cancers, feel less embarrassed about what they are going through; reduced stigma also results in more dialogue about cancer prevention as well as what options women have if they feel they are at an excessive risk.
Awareness is an important part of cancer prevention
There is no doubt that awareness is a huge part of any sort of disease prevention. Jolie speaking up about the fact that she had multiple women in her family develop these types of cancers may help women who have a history of the disease in their family consider this type of preventative surgery for themselves? Some women may have never even thought about ovarian or breast tissue removal before Jolie made her announcements. Awareness is a very important part of prevention, and Jolie’s public statements are definitely great for awareness. For more cable television opportunities hop over to this website.