Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are one of the most common medical problems faced by women – especially those between the ages of 30 and 55. However, fibroids can and do occur in women under the age of 35, even women in their early 20s.

While every woman is at risk, uterine fibroid tumors are highly prevalent among African American women; an estimated 50-80% will develop fibroids at some point in their life. Although I have never had them, many of the women in my family have suffered from this condition at different ages and life stages. Several of them chose to have hysterectomies.  Please take a moment to learn more about uterine fibroids, and the risks and symptoms associated with them.

So, what are uterine fibroids anyway?  They are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years.  The good news is that they almost never develop into cancer.

In general, uterine fibroids cause no problems and seldom require treatment.  However, when the signs and symptoms are present, the symptoms include:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Prolonged menstrual periods or bleeding between periods
• Pelvic pressure or pain
• Urinary incontinence or frequent urination 
• Constipation
• Backache or leg pains

There are few known risk factors for uterine fibroids, other than being a woman of reproductive age. Other factors include:

• Heredity. If your mother or sister had fibroids, you’re at increased risk of also developing them.

• Race. Black women are more likely to have fibroids than are women of other racial groups. In addition, black women have fibroids at younger ages, and they’re also likely to have more or larger fibroids.

• Eating a lot of red meat (e.g., beef) and ham is linked with a higher risk of fibroids.  Eating plenty of green vegetables seems to protect women from developing fibroids.

Research examining other potential risk factors has been inconclusive. Although some studies have suggested that obese women are at higher risk of fibroids, other studies have not shown a link.

In addition, limited studies once suggested that women who take oral contraceptives and athletic women may have a lower risk of fibroids, but later research failed to establish this connection. Researchers have also looked at whether pregnancy and giving birth may have a protective effect, but results remain unclear.

Supermodel Beverly Johnson, the first African-American to grace the cover of Vogue, suffered from uterine fibroids. Now she’s launched a new campaign to make sure every woman is empowered to learn about this condition and the treatment options.

You can read Beverly’s story and learn more about uterine fibroids at www.Ask4Tell4.com.