Jamie Otis is opening up about her health after she was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV).
The Married at First Sight alum, 34, revealed on Wednesday that physicians have found "high risk, abnormal tissues" in her body during a postpartum checkup. Otis — who welcomed son Hendrix Douglas with husband Doug Hehner in May — shared the news on her Instagram alongside a video of herself at the doctor's office after undergoing a colposcopy and biopsy of her cervix.
"I have HPV," she captioned the clip, which was set to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive."
"I found out when I was in my first trimester of pregnancy & had an 'abnormal' pap.🤰🏼They told me I’d have to wait until my 6 week check up after delivery to investigate further so I didn’t risk losing my baby," she wrote. "I have two friends who told me they were diagnosed with HPV during pregnancy too. One said it went away completely after giving birth. The other may need a hysterectomy…."
"I was kinda hoping I’d be like my first friend & it’d be gone after delivery, but at my 6 week check up I had another pap. It came back abnormal with 'high risk' cells," Otis continued.
When Otis finished her biopsy, a doctor told her that she'll likely "need the LEEP procedure bc she could see the high risk, abnormal tissues," the reality star said.
Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is generally performed on patients with cervical or vaginal problems or when abnormal cells are found during a Pap test, according to John Hopkins Medicine. The procedure can also be used to detect cancer of the cervix or vagina.
Otis said that she feels "so fortunate to have caught this early."
"These 'abnormal' cells are what turn into full blown cancer," she wrote. "Luckily for me, I got pregnant and they made me have a pap. Otherwise who knows when I would’ve had one. I didn’t always get my routine check ups bc I was so "busy.' "
The mother of two, who also shares 2-year-old daughter Henley Grace with her husband, went on to remind fans to stay on top of their health.
"Don’t let life get too 'busy' to get your check ups. I believe in my heart I’ll be perfectly fine, but man! To think if I hadn’t gotten pregnant these high risk cells would just be hanging out spreading inside me and I wouldn’t know any better bc there are no signs or symptoms," she wrote.
"Sooo, yeah, if you are due for your check up go get your pap!🙃💗"
Otis first spoke about her HPV diagnosis late last year when she was pregnant with her son. At the time, she admitted that her head had “been all over the place” after receiving the diagnosis, though she was remaining positive amid the news.
“I just have to wait until after I have the baby to really know what’s going on inside me, but I’m just putting the positive vibes out there & praying & being so THANKFUL for my health,” Otis wrote in the caption of an Instagram post.
“I couldn’t help but think about all the women who are pregnant and find out super scary news like they actually do have cancer or a fatal disease and they’re left with the tough decision: treat yourself while pregnant to save your life but risk losing the baby OR take your chances and postpone treatment to save your baby.”
“I cannot even imagine having to make that decision,” she added. “My heart goes out to those mamas. If you’re one of them, I’m sending you SO MUCH LOVE.”
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the Unites States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dysplasia is an abnormal growth or development of cells within tissues or organs. The growth can be precancerous, though it is often treatable, Mayo Clinic reports.
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