What Dolly Parton, 80, Said About Her Health, Endometriosis and Why She Couldn’t Have Children
The country legend was one of the first public figures to speak openly about the condition
Key Takeaways
- Dolly Parton dealt with endometriosis and spoke about her health struggles before dying at 80.
- Endometriosis can cause painful periods, heavy bleeding, fatigue and digestive issues.
- Routine gynecological visits may miss endometriosis, so speaking up about pain matters.
Whether you fell in love with Dolly Parton for her iconic style, philanthropy or soulful voice, the country music icon was often an open book—including when it came to her health. Parton spoke about several health challenges she faced, including kidney stones, before she passed away at 80 on August 25. She also dealt with a women’s health issue that the World Health Organization says impacts 190 million women of reproductive age worldwide: endometriosis. Below, we take a look at how Dolly Parton was impacted by endometriosis, how it impacted her ability to have children and what you should do if you suspect you might have the condition.
Dolly Parton’s health and experience with endometriosis
According to People, Parton dealt with endometriosis for years—and she even spoke about women’s health issues she had faced decades earlier.
“Back in the early ‘80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton said in the interview.
She also opened up about her health in her book Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton, revealing she eventually had a partial hysterectomy in her 30s.
What is endometriosis?
“Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus,” explains Pankaj Singhal, MD, MS, MHCM, FACOG, master surgeon at New York Gynecology Surgery & Endometriosis. “The lining of the uterus has a name. It’s called the endometrium, and it’s the tissue that builds up each month and sheds during a period. In endometriosis, tissue that behaves a lot like that lining turns up in the wrong places. On the ovaries. On the fallopian tubes. On the pelvic lining, which is the thin membrane covering everything inside the pelvis. Sometimes on the bowel or the bladder. Now and then on the diaphragm, the muscle under the lungs.”
Unlike other health conditions where the cause is more straightforward, the tricky thing about endometriosis is that medical professionals are still trying to understand it themselves.
“We still don’t know exactly why some women develop endometriosis and others don’t,” explains Kathleen Green, MD, an ob-gyn at Maven Clinic. “There are several theories, and it’s probably a combination of factors rather than one single cause. Genetics clearly play a role, as do hormones, inflammation and the immune system. One longstanding theory involves menstrual blood and cells traveling backward through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis, but that alone doesn’t explain endometriosis because this happens in many women who never develop the disease.”
What Dolly Parton said about her health—and why she didn’t have children
In a 1987 interview with Today, Parton opened up about her fertility struggles. “I can’t have children physically. I love children. I don’t know that it also wasn’t God’s will, you know, for me not to have kids,” Parton said in the interview. “I mean, I try to look at things in a way that I can put them in a proper place because somebody has to be out there doing something to entertain other people’s children.”
Then in a 2018 interview with Closer, Parton opened up about a time in 1982 when her period was so intense with severe pain and abdominal bleeding that she had to not only seek out medical treatment, but also ultimately cancel her tour that year.
Endometriosis symptoms women need to know
The endometriosis symptoms Parton shared with the public align with some of the most common signs women experience.
“The classic symptom is painful periods, but the important distinction is that we’re not talking about mild menstrual cramps,” explains Dr. Green. “Women with endometriosis may have pain severe enough that they miss school or work or can’t participate in their normal activities.” Dr. Green says other common symptoms include:
- Pain with intercourse
- Bleeding that is irregular or heavy
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Pain with urination or bowel movements, usually around your period
- Difficulty becoming pregnant
As for sneaky symptoms you might mistake for another health issue or simply life? The biggest one is fatigue, adds Dr. Green. She says that back pain, constipation, nausea, diarrhea and bloating could also be less-obvious signs of endometriosis. “Some women spend years being told they have IBS or that painful periods are simply something they have to live with,” Dr. Green continues.
What to do if you think you have endometriosis
“A routine annual visit is built around cancer screening, contraception and general health, and it runs fifteen or twenty minutes,” says Dr. Singhal. “Endometriosis often produces a completely normal examination. Unless the conversation turns to pain, the disease can sit quietly through years of perfectly good annual visits. Nobody’s doing anything wrong here. The question just never gets asked.”
So what should you do before your next exam?
- Track two to three cycles: Dr. Singhal recommends tracking pain out of 10, dates, what you took for pain, what the pain stopped you from doing that day and any symptoms that impacted your sex life, bowels or bladder. “It stops you talking yourself out of it,” adds Dr. Singhal. “Women routinely underplay their own symptoms in the room and then read their own diary back in astonishment.”
- Ask directly: After bringing your one-page log of your symptoms and handing it to your medical provider at the start of your appointment, Dr. Singhal recommends asking “Could this be endometriosis?” directly and saying the word out loud. He also recommends asking for a pelvic ultrasound instead of a routine scan.
- Get a second opinion: If your medical provider doesn’t diagnose and manage endometriosis, ask for a referral to someone who does. “Do not accept two answers: that bad periods are normal, or that a clear scan means nothing is wrong,” adds Dr. Singhal. “Neither is true, and these beliefs are why so many women lose years before getting help.”
Dolly Parton’s openness about her health spreads awareness
When people in the public eye like Dolly Parton openly share their health struggles, the ripple effect can be huge. Because of her candidness and vulnerability, more women have started asking themselves if they might have endometriosis too. So if any of the symptoms above sound familiar, have a conversation with your doctor about what could be going on.
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