Fibroids can cause infertility or create difficult pregnancies, miscarriage or preterm births. Seventy to eighty percent of American women will develop fibroids by age 50. According to the National Institutes of Health, fibroids and other common gynecological conditions represent an important health concern due to the large number of women affected. Even with an already high rate of occurrence, African-American women are 2 to 3 times more likely to have recurring fibroids or suffer from complications from them. Advocacy efforts are underway. Extensive research is needed about why fibroids develop in the first place, why African-American women get them more frequently and with more severity than other races, and how they affect fertility. New surgical advancements to treat fibroids are performed with smaller incisions in minimally invasive outpatient procedures so women can return to work in 2 weeks or less.
Excerpt:
Seventy to eighty percent of American women by age 50 will develop uterine fibroids. These benign tumors grow in the uterus, or off of the uterus on stalks within the pelvic cavity. Many women never know they have them until caught on a routine exam, and for many of those, they may never affect daily life. However, those who are unlucky enough to suffer through some of the more severe symptoms of fibroids (pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, bleeding for longer than 7 days, large clots, pain in the legs or back, pain having sex) are at a higher risk of infertility if left untreated…
Fibroids themselves are not seen as life threatening, as they are non-cancerous. However, the resulting symptoms can be extremely dangerous. Women have suffered from anemia – with some requiring multiple blood transfusions; and babies are lost to miscarriages, have been born prematurely, or are never conceived. The more severe symptoms of fibroids are responsible for missed days at work or social engagements, and strained relationships as the extreme bleeding and severe pelvic pain that can occur with fibroids is debilitating.
The full article is on WTOP.
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