LeAnn Rimes is on the mend after undergoing a “minor surgery” to have precancerous cells removed from her cervix.
The 41-year-old singer shared a lengthy Instagram post over the weekend reminding fans to get their annual scans after her pap smear came back “abnormal.”
She began her message by sharing that January has historically been a “challenging month” for her — and despite starting off “joyful and easeful” — 2024 proved to be no different.
“However, yesterday, i underwent a minor surgery and i wanted to share what i went in for because i think it’s an important reminder to get our annual screenings in order to catch changes that may be taking place within the body early on,” she wrote.
Rimes explained that she has “had abnormal paps since [she] was 17” and therefore gets screened more than most so that doctors can “keep an eye on any cellular changes.”
“After my latest abnormal pap smear and colposcopy revealed that i had high grade cervical dysplasia, i consulted with my doctor and we jointly decided that a LEEP procedure would be in my best interest, in order to remove the high grade, abnormal, pre-cancerous cells,” she told her followers.
A LEEP, or loop electrosurgical excision procedure, “uses a wire loop heated by electric current to remove cells and tissue in a woman’s lower genital tract,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Although patients don’t need to be put under anesthesia for the procedure, Rimes elected to be sedated.
“I’ve had enough trauma in my life already, so i prefer to be out and comfortable,” she explained. “that, my friends, is advocating for your overall, mental wellness and comfort and i HIGHLY recommend it!”
The “How Do I Live” singer decided to open up about the medial procedure to remind fans the importance of keeping up with their health — especially when you can’t always tell if something is wrong.
“Early stages of cervical cancer don’t usually involve symptoms, so annual screenings and early detection can be lifesaving,” she continued.
“And i believe, the more shares and conversations we have around women’s wellness, the more we 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.”
Rimes has been very open about her physical and mental health struggles over the years, revealing in 2020 that she had psoriasis.
The country singer showed the world her skin condition — which is characterized by red, itchy and scaly patches on the body — for the first time in a cover story with Glamour.
In the piece, which was written my Rimes herself, the singer posed naked in a grassy field, proudly putting her body on full display.
“You know when you say something you’ve been holding in for so long, and it’s such a sigh of relief?” the musician, who was “80 percent” covered in psoriasis by the time she was 6, wrote. “That’s what these photos are to me.”
“I needed this. My whole body — my mind, my spirit — needed this desperately.”
