When three-time Olympic hurdler Jana Pittman began having pelvic discomfort in 2014, she put off seeing her GP - until a year later when she began undergoing IVF.

The decision to try for a baby saved her life, with doctors uncovering a precancerous condition, the website 7News.com.au reported.

Now a doctor in residence at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, the mother of six has survived two cancer scares.

Speaking to 7Life, Dr Pittman wants women to talk more openly about their breasts “and other private bits” in a bid to save their lives.

September is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness month, and Dr Pittman is an ambassador for the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG).

She says women should ensure regular checks for gynaecological cancers, some of which are silent killers.

The two-time world champion hurdler says the first time she had a cancer scare, she “felt like an idiot” because she had not had a cervical screen for nine years.

To donate desperately needed funds to women’s cancer research, go to womencan.org.au.

Read the full story here: https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/olympian-turned-doctor-jana-pittman-shares-the-warning-signs-after-shock-diagnosis-c-8320673

Photo: Chris Murray/Unsplash