THE FORMER FIRST LADY AND OTHER CELEBRITIES SPEAK UP ABOUT COMPLEX GYN CONDITIONS AND INFERTILITY

With the release of her memoir, Michelle Obama opens up about her difficultly getting pregnant and eventually turning to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Mrs. Obama told ABC that after her miscarriage, “I felt like I failed because I didn’t know how common miscarriages were because we don’t talk about them.”

In her memoir, Mrs. Obama details her infertility journey and reveals her two daughters were conceived with the help of IVF.

“I think it’s the worst thing that we do to each other as women, not share the truth about our bodies and how they work,” Mrs. Obama told ABC’s Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.

The former First Lady makes a great point. Complex GYN conditions that can lead to infertility are often not openly discussed, leaving women to bear the agony that comes with these conditions alone. Luckily, more and more women are sharing their experiences — helping to raise awareness and giving women the tools they need to ask important questions about their bodies.

When someone as admired and recognized as Michelle Obama shares her experience with infertility, it gives people hope. And, it paves the way for others to speak up about infertility and the complex GYN conditions that could be causing it.

TV personality Tia Mowry disclosed her own experiences with endometriosis earlier this year. Mowry underwent surgery for endometriosis after a generalist dismissed her symptoms. She believes discussing these issues can encourage other women to get a diagnosis and seek treatment.

“If more of us talked about it, more women might say: ‘Hey, I’ve had those symptoms, let me go get checked,’” Mowry writes.

SEEK A SPECIALIST FOR FIBROIDS AND ENDOMETRIOSIS

While complex GYN conditions — such as fibroids, endometriosis, and polyps — may be diagnosed by an OBGYN, they often lack sufficient experience or training in advanced minimally invasive techniques for hysterectomy, myomectomy, or endometriosis excision. As a result, many women unnecessarily undergo more invasive procedures or misdiagnoses. When presented with a complex GYN condition, finding a specialist who can provide the best possible outcome is the crucial first step. The right specialist can help women avoid a lifetime of pain and discomfort. Utilizing the latest advances in minimally invasive fibroid removal procedures, such as a minimally invasive hysterectomy or laparoscopic fibroid removal, can eliminate symptoms associated with fibroids with minimal pain and limited downtime.

Celebrities are not the only ones opening up. Ordinary women — Aziza, Arnice, and Valinda — who have had long struggles with fibroids and endometriosis have come through the other side with success stories after choosing minimally invasive GYN surgery at The Center for Innovative GYN Care (CIGC^®).