Barbara Palvin Reveals Life-Changing Health Diagnosis and Surgery, Urges Women to Get Checked Out

The model shared the news on Instagram on Sunday.

Barbara Palvin / Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images

Since June, four-time SI Swimsuit model Barbara Palvin has kept her social media presence to a minimum. Yesterday, she returned to the app to explain why.

You can view Palvin’s post here.

📸 IG | Barbara: "Hi guys, it’s been a while! Just a little update and a few thoughts for those out there who could relate to what I’m about to share - for some years now I’ve been dealing with the difficulties that can come with my periods. Fatigue, severe pain, heavy and… pic.twitter.com/cSngdCwECM

— Barbara Palvin Access (@palvinaccess) August 17, 2025

“For some years now, I’ve been dealing with the difficulties that can come with my periods,” The 31-year-old wrote as part of her caption on Sunday underneath a nine-slide carousel. Then, she listed some of her symptoms, including “fatigue, severe pain, heavy and irregular flow.”

The model, who made her debut with the magazine in 2016 in Turks & Caicos, originally believed the pain “was just how it works for [her].” In reality, there was an underlying diagnosis: “I’ve been advised to seek out an endometriosis specialist to see whether my symptoms are caused by that.”

The Hungary native added that, despite attending annual visits with her gynecologist, the specialist confirmed that Palvin had the disease. As reported by the World Health Organization, individuals with endometriosis have “tissue similar to the lining of the uterus [that] grows outside the uterus,” which can result in “severe, life-impacting pain” in the lower torso area..

Palvin continued, “I’ve been going to checkups to my gynecologist every year, I thought if I had endometriosis, I would have known about it by now, but as it turns out, endometriosis can’t be diagnosed with general examinations.”

Barbara Palvin / Dave Benett/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR

The next step for Palvin was surgery. After her operation (“laparoscopic [...] for both adenomyosis and endometriosis,” she told a commenter), the model revealed that her symptoms have subsided: “I finally experienced a period that was easier, and now I know the difference.”

In response, she advised her over 20 million followers to be proactive on their own health: “If you suspect that you could have endometriosis, I encourage you to find out.”

Fans send support to Barbara Palvin

Fans of the model rushed to her comments section to express their support for her recovery and thanked the model for her vulnerability. Some folks opted to share their own history with the disease, while medical professionals even chimed in to spread awareness.

“If anyone out there is having severe pain, bowel or bladder problems with their periods and ovulation, pain with sex or bowel movements, irregular bleeding, please see an endometriosis specialist!” Karen Tang, MD commented.

“I wish there was more research and options for people suffering from this,” another commenter wrote. “Bringing awareness to it is a big step so thank you for being open about your diagnosis and creating awareness.”

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