REPLAY: SZA on Her Health, Family History & Becoming Her Own Advocate

We are revisiting one of our favorite SheMD conversations with SZA.

SZA joins her longtime physician Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney for an intimate conversation about her health, family history and the anxiety that can come with trying to understand what is happening inside your own body.

Dr. A walks through SZA’s breast cancer risk assessment, family history, genetic testing and why a negative genetic test does not necessarily mean someone has an average lifetime risk of breast cancer.

SZA also talks candidly about health anxiety, therapy, trauma, relationships, creativity and learning to accept the parts of herself that do not fit the traditional idea of being a “nice girl.” She reflects on the drive that helped build her career, why outside validation once mattered so much to her and what she is still learning about trusting herself.

Plus, SZA talks about getting off the internet, motherhood, life beyond music and the people who have shaped who she is today.

This conversation was originally recorded before SZA went on to win three Grammys following the release of SOS.

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What You'll Learn

• Where the name SZA comes from and what each letter represents.
• Why every woman should know her lifetime risk of breast cancer, even without a family history.
• How factors like height, weight, breast density, family history, and genetic testing change a lifetime risk score.
• Why women with a lifetime risk above 20% should start breast imaging at 30 instead of 40.
• What a fibroadenoma is and why imaging catches cancers years before a lump can be felt.
• How a family history of cancer can create lasting health anxiety, and why being your own advocate matters.
• The story behind SOS and SZA's journey away from trying to be a "nice girl."
• SZA's advice for young artists on protecting their health and creativity.

Key Takeaways

• The average woman has a 12.5% lifetime risk of breast cancer, and every woman should have her personal risk calculated by her doctor.
• A negative genetic test does not mean low risk, since family history, breast density, and other factors still affect a woman's lifetime risk.
• Women with a lifetime risk above 20% should begin breast imaging at 30, not 40, and may be missed if risk is never calculated.
• By the time a lump can be felt, it has often been there for years, which is why regular imaging is essential.
• Watching loved ones go through cancer can create real health anxiety, and advocating for yourself is better than assuming something is nothing.
• Integrating every part of yourself, including your edge, can be a source of strength rather than shame.

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