Beauty influencer Jessica Pettway, 36, dies from cervical cancer after fibroid misdiagnosis

Like most diseases, Black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by fibroids — defined as “common growths of the uterus” — and cervical cancer.

Jessica Pettway has died from cervical cancer after receiving multiple incorrect medical diagnoses.

According to People, Pettway’s sister, Reyni Brown, confirmed her death via Instagram on Friday — nearly nine months after the beauty influencer revealed that doctors misdiagnosed her with fibroids.

“It’s my birthday today, and the only thing I could ever wish for is for God to bring you back on this earth,” Brown wrote, sharing a photo of her and her sibling. “I lost my beautiful big sister 2 days ago, and my heart has never felt pain like this.”

KFF Health News reported that 12 million people receive incorrect medical diagnoses annually in the United States, with certain patients being at higher risk.

David Newman-Toker, MD, Ph.D., the director of the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence, said misdiagnosis rates are 20% to 30% higher for women and racial and ethnic minorities than for white men. Researchers describe misdiagnosis as an urgent public health issue.

Like most diseases, Black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by fibroids — defined as “common growths of the uterus” — and cervical cancer.

According to People, Pettway joined YouTube in November 2013, posting about 450 videos, gaining over 225,000 followers and amassing 16 million views.

Following a period of inactivity, the content creator wrote a lengthy post on Instagram in July 2023 in “hopes that at least one person is encouraged by my story.” 

Pettway recalled how she began experiencing “intense vaginal bleeding” in June 2022. She required multiple hospital stays between July and January 2023, with doctors repeatedly misdiagnosing her. In February 2023, she visited an oncologist.

“On Feb. 8th, 2023, he performed an outpatient biopsy on me,” Pettway wrote. “When I woke up from the anesthesia, he casually said, ‘Yep you have stage 3 cervical cancer.’ It turns out, it was not a fibroid, but cancer. I was misdiagnosed all this time.”

While fibroids affect 80% of premenopausal women worldwide, the National Library of Medicine notes that Black women are more likely than women of other races to experience them. Clinical diagnoses indicate that the estimated cumulative incidence of fibroids in women younger than 50 is much greater for Black women than white women.

Compared to other women in the U.S., Black women are also at higher risk of dying from cervical cancer.

Pettway recalled how she immediately refused to accept the oncologist’s diagnosis.

“And so I didn’t,” she said, People reported. “Being told I have cancer didn’t devastate me. It was the reaction of those close to me.”

The popular YouTuber shared two daughters — Zoi Lee, 3, and Kailee, 10 — with her husband of 12 years.

In an August Instagram post, Pettway opened up about how it felt to watch her loved ones deal with her medical journey. She said it “was rough” watching her husband break down, but maintained they were committed to getting through it together, despite the challenges.

“Anytime you’re dealing with an illness, it not only affects you, but it also changes the lives of those closest to you,” Pettway shared. “This year rocked our world. From the countless hospital stays. To the financial strain. We been through it all! The girls are too young to understand, yet they noticed the changes.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV causes most cases of cervical cancer. Health specialists advise receiving an HPV vaccination if you are under 26 years old and getting checked for cervical cancer regularly between the ages of 21 and 65.

“Racial bias is baked into our culture,” said Monika Goyal, an emergency physician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., who has documented racial bias in children’s health care, KFF reported. “It’s important for all of us to start recognizing that.”

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