Two years ago, Angelina Jolie bravely wrote about her decision to undergo a double mastectomy because of her high risk of breast cancer from carrying the BRCA1 gene. This is an individual choice that each woman has to address with her doctors, based on her personal family history and her wishes. Not everyone can finish the reconstructive process so quickly – it often takes more than 6 months – but showing how she continued to live her life can help other women make their decision to undergo the procedures.
Today, she wrote about her choice and experience deciding to go even further to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer, by having her ovaries removed. This results in premature menopause. Again, not everyone with the gene needs to do this, but I think it’s great that she shared the process she went through, so that other women may be encouraged to consider their options.