Bravely Speaking Up
- Actress Brooke Shields, 59, is sharing a horrific experience she went through with a male doctor, who performed a highly invasive vaginal procedure without her consent.
- The former Calvin Klein model — who has shined a light on the issue of being a highly sexualized young star in Hollywood — talked about the experience in a cover story ahead of the January 14 release of her new memoir, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman, urging women everywhere to bring up the “uncomfortable” in order to make change.
- After deciding to have a surgical reduction of her labia done, which was recommended by her gynecologist, Shields was in sheer shock when her Beverly Hills plastic surgeon “informed” her that he threw in a little “bonus.” Vaginal rejuvenation (vaginal tightening). An “irreversible” procedure. Shields hopes that by bravely sharing her story, she will encourage more women to stand up for what is right.
- It’s important to speak with someone while processing any physical or mental changes, especially if it’s not getting any easier, or you feel like it’s taking longer than normal to heal emotionally. Your care team can refer you to a mental health specialist, and in the meantime, confide in a friend or family member about your feelings. You are not alone.
The former Calvin Klein model — who has shined a light on the predatory nature of being a highly sexualized young star in Hollywood — talked about the experience in a cover story with Us Weekly, ahead of the January 14 release of her new memoir, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman, urging women everywhere to bring up the “uncomfortable” in order to make change.
Read MoreAfter deciding to have a surgical reduction of her labia done, which was recommended by her gynecologist (Shields had been having discomfort since she was a teenager), Shields was in sheer shock when her Beverly Hills plastic surgeon “informed” her that he threw in a little “bonus.”
Vaginal rejuvenation (vaginal tightening). An “irreversible” procedure.
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“It felt like such an invasion — such a bizarre, like, rape of some kind,” she expressed, adding that the doctor seemed “legitimately proud, explained to me that he, you know, threw in a little twofer.”
‘Guilt’ After Being Violated
Shields said she was “dumbfounded,” that both her and her gynecologist were enraged.
“Nothing pointed toward this need to be tighter or smaller or firmer or younger, especially there.”
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She said she felt “shame” and “guilt” and, “for the longest time,” couldn’t even tell her husband, producer and screenwriter Chris Henchy, 60, what had happened to her. (The exact time frame of when this occurred was not mentioned in the article.)
Shields, however, carefully decided to not take any further action.
“I thought, I don’t want anybody else telling me what to do.”
Shields hopes that by bravely sharing her story, however “graphic” or “TMI” (too much information) that it may be perceived, but that’s the only way to encourage women — and all people — to stand up for what is right.
With this share by Shields, we can’t help but think of other strong leaders and pioneers of women’s movements, survivors like the late Tina Turner.
“Never forget to stand up for yourself, your rights and your freedom. Be brave! You deserve the world,” Turner wrote to her followers back in 2021, which was at the height of the #MeToo movement.
The singer expressed how much it meant to her that she seen as a role model for women.
“If someone had told me as a little girl that one day, I would be a role model for women around the globe, I wouldn’t have believed it,” she writes. “Every day I receive messages from brave women who tell me their stories. I am so proud of each and every one of you!”
Speak Up if You Think Something is Wrong
Overcoming Feelings of Shame
When it comes to physical and mental health challenges, licensed clinical social worker Sarah Stapleton, in a previous interview with SurvivorNet, says you should be “patient with your emotions” and communicate what you need from those around you.
Stapleton was speaking on processing diagnoses, but this can be applied to numerous health challenges that your are facing. Stapleton says that pretending that there is not a serious issue is “unrealistic,” but shares that it’s important for you to understand that “it’s incredibly overwhelming.”
“It’s a myriad of emotions that you’ll have at various times.”
She urges patients to “be patient with yourself through those emotions,” saying it’s okay that “you can’t always be strong” and “you can’t always not cry.”
“And I think it’s also important that you understand how you communicate with your providers, but also with your loved ones,” she adds. “And it’s completely fine to tell family and friends, I don’t want to talk about that right now.”
Dealing with Changes in Your Body
Of course, we commend Shields for speaking out, but many women can certainly understand the level of discomfort this could cause. Especially after feeling so violated.
When facing any sort of health condition, cancer or disease (and extreme scenario such as this), these changes people go through with their bodies, can understandably cause extreme distress.
“My confidence was gone. My confidence was destroyed,” Jaclyn Kaczynski, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37 years old, previously told SurvivorNet. She found it really threw her body image off track. “I was always vain about my appearance and my weight, let alone losing a breast, or both.”
Jaclyn says that she gained a lot of weight during treatment, and that, combined with losing her breasts, really did a number on how she felt about her own body.
My Confidence Was Destroyed: Dealing With Body Image After Health Issues
A lot of women struggle to feel like themselves again after breast cancer treatment. Members of the SurvivorNet community also tell us that deciding between reconstruction or embracing a life without breasts is a really tough decision. While many women decide to “go flat,” others simply don’t feel like themselves after surgery.
It’s important to speak with someone while processing these changes, especially if it’s not getting any easier, or you feel like it’s taking longer than normal to heal emotionally. Your care team can refer you to a mental health specialist, and in the meantime, confide in a friend or family member about your feelings. You are not alone.
There are many people out there going through similar health issues and violations, and support groups can also be found beneficial as you navigate through these feelings and figure out how to proceed. Any violation occurring without a person’s consent should be reported, but ultimately, it is your decision on how to handle the situation.
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