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When actress Angelina Jolie found out she had a mutation in her BRCA1 gene that sharply increased her risk of developing breast cancer, she took the aggressive approach of having a preventive double mastectomy. Later, she also had her ovaries removed. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, actress Christina Applegate found out she also had a mutation in one of the BRCA genes. She decided to have a double mastectomy instead of a lumpectomy, and in 2017 also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventive measure.

It may not grab the spotlight the way the heart and lungs do, but your gallbladder plays a key role in your health. Understanding how this tiny but mighty organ works — and what can happen when it doesn’t — can you help identify potential problems.

IUDs are an extremely effective form of birth control. They keep women from getting pregnant 99 percent of the time, and they last for several years before needing to be replaced. Still, recent studies show that certain IUDs — the ones that contain hormones — might make some women depressed, anxious or, in rare cases, even suicidal.