Angelina Jolie had a preventive double mastectomy, the actress admitted in a New York Times op-ed published on Thursday and simply titled My Medical Choice.

The actress and director wrote that she had the surgical procedure done because of her genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died at age 56 in 2007 after a long battle with cancer.

"She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms," Jolie wrote of her late mother. "But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was."

The actress talked candidly of her surgery that begin in February with a "nipple delay," which spares the skin around the removed breast. Later, she had the major surgery to remove her breast tissue and finally a reconstruction surgery in late April. Jolie compared parts of the process to "a scene out of a science-fiction film," but said the surgery has ultimately reduced her risk from 87 percent to just under 5 percent.

Jolie credited her partner, Brad Pitt, for helping her get through the procedures. She hopes that other women’s spouses and partners will play an equal part, saying, "Anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition."

The actress also put out a call for better efforts to help people of less privilege, citing a World Heath Organization statistic that breast cancer itself affects over 458,000 people per year, in mostly low and middle-income countries.

"It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live," she said.

Jolie hopes that telling her story will give even more awareness to breast cancer and that others may be able to learn more about their own health risks.

"I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience," she said. "Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options."

Jolie has received acclaim for her words from her fellow celebrities. Singer Sheryl Crow, herself a breast cancer survivor, complemented her for her efforts on Twitter.

"I commend Angelina Jolie for her courage and thoughtfulness in sharing her story today regarding her mastectomy. So brave!" Crow tweeted. "Ladies, please check out Angelina Jolie’s story today, especially if you have breast cancer in your family history."