Black Women Urged To Be Own Health Advocates After Popular Influencer Dies From Misdiagnosis

Black women must be their greatest health advocate after popular influencer Jessica Pettway, 36, died from cervical cancer on March 11. Pettway was originally misdiagnosed with fibroids.

Pettway first revealed her cancer diagnosis in July 2023 to her over 158,000 followers on Instagram. However, her tragic death shocked social media users, especially with the fact she received multiple misdiagnoses. Doctors viewed her “intense vaginal bleeding” as a symptom of fibroids until her condition worsened.

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A post shared by Jessica Pettway (@jessicapettway)

“I was rushed to the hospital, where they told me that the extreme blood loss was due to ‘fibroids.’ My Gyno made it seem like it was so normal and common, explained Pettway in the post. “I didn’t think much of it, however I was passing clots the size of a placenta, which was really alarming.”

She added, “I was told I could not get surgery to remove this ‘fibroid’ due to my lack of blood supply…They recommended I do a biopsy.”

The biopsy results revealed that the influencer had stage 3 cervical cancer. However, her story speaks to countless women receiving misdiagnoses to their own detriment. According to KKF Health News, women and people of color are 20 to 30% more likely to experience a misdiagnosis. A significant portion of these misdiagnoses stem from cancer, specifically in the lungs.

However, these issues of correct medical analysis and treatment disproportionately impact Black women. Women’s health expert Dr. Sherry Ross notes that the “broken medical system” contributes to this growing problem.

“We have a broken medical system,” shared the OBGYN to Yahoo News. “Women of color are marginalized even more in a broken system [in terms of] getting timely appointments, having insurance and being sent to the ER.”

Pettway leaves behind her husband and their two daughters. However, her story spreads awareness on the systemic issues surrounding Black women and the medical system.

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