A Lesson In Breasts, Starring Angelina Jolie
Posted on May 16, 2013
Sometimes, public interest in the lives of celebrities helps us in medicine. For years, I have wished that a celebrity would champion the importance of contraception, planned pregnancies, and reproductive choices. Someone to share that planning for a pregnancy, optimizing health, taking preconception folic acid, and making healthy choices was fashionable. Alas, I’m still waiting for this to happen.
But this week, Angelina Jolie did a great service by bringing attention to the very difficult choices women face in the complex world of breast cancer, screening, prevention, and genetics. It was almost 40 years ago when First Lady Betty Ford openly discussed her breast cancer, mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast), and the importance of a screening mammogram. There was a surge in screening mammography after her revelations, and she personally helped Nancy Brinker get the Susan G. Komen Foundation started. It’s a great example of a well-known individual making a big impact on women’s health.
Hopefully, Ms. Jolie’s announcement will have a similar effect. She has taken the key message of preventive health, and used a very important term, “empowerment.” Clearly, her decision to have a double mastectomy in order to lower her cancer risk was not made lightly—it was made with a collaborative team that factored in her family history, risk factors, and the individual options available to her. In describing her experience, Ms. Jolie addressed the concerns many women have about their family support, family impact, and perception of self. She discussed how rare BRCA gene mutations increase a woman’s risk of developing cancer and the health disparities that stand in the way of more screening and treatment for women with these inherited risk factors. These are the issues our ACOG Fellows face daily—determining which patients need a comprehensive screening approach, providing the appropriate care, and having a team well-versed in genetics and risks to tailor the care to the individual.
Quite frankly, we as ob-gyns can’t know it all, but we sure can get a team that collectively does! We need to be knowledgeable in the appropriate screening protocol (ACOG recommends routine screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer). We also need to be prepared to counsel patients with elevated risk, and to call on the expertise of geneticists, surgeons, oncologists, and radiologists to collaboratively manage a patient’s care. It is up to us to be aware of risks for our patients and develop the best available system to help them make personal decisions.
Finally, Women's Health Gets Its Due
Posted on May 9, 2013
It is an amazing time for women in the US. The recent passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) shows that women’s health has been embraced as a national priority. Implementation of this landmark legislation will improve and expand health care for millions of women. From yearly well-woman visits to cancer screenings and domestic violence screening and counseling, to breastfeeding support and contraceptive coverage, more women’s health services will be accessible and affordable than ever before.
It’s with this backdrop that I take the reins as president of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and I couldn’t be more excited. As a nation, we’re finally recognizing that health care is about more than solving accute health crises. It’s about promoting wellness to prevent disease. For ob-gyns, providing top-notch health care includes having meaningful interactions with women and providing them tools not only to maintain their physical health, but to improve their physical, mental, and emotional health, too.
Ob-gyns will be greatly affected by the new law, but we’ll also have a chance to make a great impact. We will be gaining new patients and collaborating with colleagues to optimize their health. We should strive to make the most of these patient-doctor visits and encourage women to put their health first—take advantage of the services ACA offers; get preexisting health conditions under control; make time for eating right, exercise, and the stress-relieving activities that they enjoy. These are fundamental health reminders that we must convey to every woman, every time.
As an ob-gyn, I believe that no medical specialty knows women’s health better than we do. We have a duty to speak up in the best interest of women’s health. During my year as ACOG president, I plan to take every opportunity to advocate for women. I challenge ACOG Fellows to let your voices be heard as well. Talk to your legislators and your community about women’s health, but most of all, talk to your patients. Working with them one-on-one to build the foundation for a healthier future is where we can make the biggest difference.