Anyone with a cervix should be getting a Pap smear (also called a Pap test) every three years, but if you don’t have a perfect record on making all your check-ups, well, you’re not alone. As the CDC reported in 2018, only 66 percent of women 18 and and older had a Pap test within the past three years. It’s clear that a lot of us don’t realize just how important Pap smears are, because what they’re screening for is serious: cervical cancer.
Take it from LeAnn Rimes. The country singer, who’s long been open about her health and experience with aging, took to Instagram this week to share a health scare she recently went through following an abnormal Pap smear.
Several months ago, Rimes wrote, she had an annual Pap smear that came back with abnormal results. In fact, Rimes shares, “I’ve had abnormal Paps since I was 17,” but through regular Pap smears and colposcopies (a procedure to “closely examine your cervix, vagina and vulva for signs of disease,” per Mayo Clinic), Rimes’ doctors “have been keeping an eye on any cellular changes that could be taking place.”
Rimes’ latest abnormal Pap and a recent colposcopy revealed she has high grade cervical dysplasia, a precancerous condition that occurs when abnormal cells grow on the surface of the cervix, according to Cleveland Clinic. Rimes and her doctor decided to undergo a Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (aka LEEP) to remove the “high grade, abnormal, pre-cancerous cells,” Rimes writes. Rimes elected to be under anesthesia for the procedure — a step not usually taken she says, but one she chose because “I’ve had enough trauma in my life already, so I prefer to be out and comfortable. That, my friends, is advocating for your overall, mental wellness and comfort and I HIGHLY recommend it!”
Rimes described it as a “minor surgery,” but one she wanted to share as a reminder “to get our annual screenings in order to catch changes… early on.” She pointed out that early-stage cervical cancer usually doesn’t involve symptoms, which means that “annual screenings and early detection can be lifesaving.”
Rimes also explained why she wanted to use her platform to spark these kinds of conversations around women’s wellness: to “take the ewww factor out of talking about vaginas and put the power back in our hands, to be able to take the best care of our bodies that we can.”
As someone who’s also dealt with psoriasis and mental health issues, Rimes said she’s always “been open about my health challenges” and it doesn’t look like she’s planning to change any time soon — which is great to hear. “Ladies, please don’t put off getting your annual pap,” Rimes emphasized. (Note that while Pap smears were previously recommended every year, the new recommendations are for every three years, depending on your health history, per the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.) Rimes added, “My men, too… make sure you get your annual physical, minus the pap smear!”
Before you go, read about more stars who have opened up about their health conditions:
More Stories from Health & Wellness
Leave a Comment