In the past few years, Angelina Jolie has worked to promote awareness of developments in cancer prevention for women by sharing her story. In 2013, Jolie wrote an article titled “My Medical Choice”, in which she describes her rationale behind and experience with her choice to have a preventive double mastectomy. Recently, Jolie shared a second New York Times article titled “Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a Surgery,” in which she describes her thought process surrounding her brave decision to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to further lessen her risk of developing cancer.
Because of the her family medical history and the results of her genetic testing, she made the well-informed decision to undergo these procedures to protect herself against the risk of cancer. She explains that, “Two years ago I wrote about my choice to have a preventive double mastectomy. A simple blood test had revealed that I carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. It gave me an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. I lost my mother, grandmother, and aunt to cancer.”
Throughout the article, she stresses that her purpose in writing is not solely to tell her own story, but rather to demonstrate to her female readership that a diverse array of resources exist for combatting genetic predispositions to diseases such as breast and ovarian cancer. She emphasizes that early detection is crucial, and that modern advances in health care and cancer research make it very possible for a woman to take an active role in her long-term health and to fight back against the risk of cancer.
She tells readers, “I wanted other women at risk to know about the options. I promised to follow up with any information that could be useful…There is more than one way to deal with any health issue. The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally.” Jolie makes an effort to reach out to her readers and show them that her story is not all that different from anyone else’s. She strives to make herself relatable to readers by emphasizing that, “I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt.”
Finally, she concludes her piece with this lasting message: “It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power.”
Jolie’s hopes for positive responses to this article are already underway, as writers from the New York Times and other news sources are responding to her piece and doctors are even reinforcing the value of her message. In a New York Times article titled “Experts Back Angeline Jolie Pitt in Choices for Cancer Prevention,” Pam Belluck explains that many medical professionals have agreed that Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergo these procedures was the correct choice to make.
Belluck writes that, “They also said Ms. Jolie Pitt’s decision to discuss her own choices so frankly will encourage women in similar situations to consider their own options,” reinforcing Jolie’s overaching goal of building openness and awareness, and most importantly a foundation of support.
Angelina Jolie made the incredibly courageous decision to share her story with the world in order to increase women’s awareness of their options when faced with health setbacks. By communicating her experience to the general public, she strives to open up the dialogue about women’s issues, such as developing research on the BRCA gene. This is obviously a very sensitive subject that a lot of women would not feel comfortable discussing, but by sharing her story, Jolie shows the importance of promoting this type of discussion. In both of her pieces, she stresses to readers that these procedures did not damage her sense of femininity and personal empowerment.
While genetic testing and the threat of cancer are certainly very frightening, Jolie demonstrates the importance of taking a proactive approach to your health, and overcoming your fears in order to do what’s best for yourself in the long term. Through her New York Times articles, Jolie puts forth to the world the message that “if I can do it, you’re strong enough to do it too.” Hopefully, Jolie’s story will set a positive example within the medical community and will empower women everywhere to share their stories and approach health struggles with optimistic and informed outlook.
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