Black women and fibroid tumors: Many endure prolonged symptoms before proper diagnosis and treatment.
If you’re a Black woman in America, every day you confront challenges to your physical, mental, and emotional health in the face of medical biases, systemic racism, limited or no health insurance, and socioeconomic factors (e.g., education, age, income, or social class).
In 2024, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s blog reported that “… Black women persistently grapple with alarming rates of chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and various cancers. Cardiovascular diseases alone kill more than 50,000 Black women annually. Maternal mortality rates among Black women persist at 3 to 4 times the rate of white women, highlighting a profound disparity in maternal healthcare. Additionally, Black women are 3 times more likely to have fibroids than white women.”
Uterine Fibroids: Our Stories
In my twenties, I was diagnosed with uterine fibroid tumors—one the size of small orange—but suffered no symptoms before, during, or after three pregnancies. Doctors advised that unless and until the fibroids caused problems, there was no need to remove them.
Two of my granddaughters also have been diagnosed with fibroid tumors but with different outcomes. Frances, 41, learned that she had a small fibroid tumor following a hernia scan, but she remains asymptomatic. However, her younger sister, Erica, 38, endured a harrowing journey to successful treatment.
In 2012, while on her way to the movies, Erica suddenly experienced shortness of breath and became too weak to walk. “I had had heavy bleeding for about 10 days with thick blood clots,” she said. Hospital tests revealed that she was anemic due to blood loss, so she received several blood transfusions.
During a second visit to the ER for heavy bleeding, an ultrasound detected fibroid tumors. She was advised to have a hysterectomy but refused. Instead, doctors performed a myomectomy and removed a fibroid the size of a grapefruit.
In October 2024, Erica’s symptoms returned; she said that one of her fibroids was so big, “I could feel it.” To reduce blood loss, her doctor prescribed tranexamic acid, yet bleeding persisted.
Admitted to the hospital, she asked to undergo a myomectomy but was told that she would have to wait several weeks for a date. Instead, she had a nonsurgical procedure known as uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), in which small particles are injected to block blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink. The downside of UFE, however, is that she might not be able to have children.
She is happy that her symptoms have disappeared and unlikely to recur.
Fibroids and the Famous
Last month, during Fibroid Awareness Month, tennis legend Venus Williams, actor Lupita Nyong’o, and Rep. Shontel Brown (in separate articles) shared their experiences with fibroid tumors. All had persistent symptoms, including intense painful periods, stomach pain, fatigue, and heavy menstrual bleeding.
Each remarked that their symptoms were ignored or dismissed as “normal” consequences of menstruation. None of them were offered treatment options beyond surgery for treating their fibroids.
Lupita: “In 2014 at the age of 31, I received my uterine fibroid diagnosis and was offered only two options: invasive surgery to remove them or live with the pain …”
Venus: “I didn’t associate the fibroids with my symptoms. I had no idea that fibroids had symptoms,” Williams told NYU Lagone Health’s NewsHub.
“No one ever explained that to me, so I didn’t connect these issues to something that could be treated. I didn’t know I was living with something out of the ordinary, and I think that’s a real problem.”
Rep. Brown: “(Having fibroids) was like having an uninvited guest take over your body, month after month, for years, creating painful, unpredictable menstrual messes that took such a mental toll that (I) finally resorted to getting a hysterectomy.”
What are Fibroids?
According to the Mayo Clinic, uterine fibroids are “common growths of the uterus that often appear during the reproductive years. They are not cancerous and almost never turn into cancer ….
“Fibroids vary in number and size. You can have a single fibroid or more than one. Some are too small to see with the eyes. Others can grow to the size of a grapefruit and can distort the inside and outside of the uterus or grow large enough to fill the pelvis or stomach area.”
Factors that Contribute to Fibroid Tumors
The FDA’s Office of Women’s Health (OWH) explained that “No one knows for sure what causes fibroids. Researchers think more than one factor could play a role. These factors include age, having a family member with fibroids, race/ethnic origin, being overweight or obese, having high blood pressure, and/or certain dietary factors and/or hormones.”
Vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with increased fibroid risk and the higher prevalence of fibroids in Black women. (The melanin in the skin of Black people prevents absorption of Vit. D from sunlight.)
Treatment Options
OWH advised, “If you have fibroids but do not have symptoms, you may not need medical intervention. If you have symptoms, there are medical treatments that may help …
“The most common uterine fibroid treatments include medications (like hormonal therapies and pain relievers), minimally invasive procedures (such as radiofrequency ablation and uterine artery embolization), and surgery (including myomectomy and hysterectomy).”
Treatment options depend on factors such as the severity of symptoms, the size and location of fibroids, and a woman’s desire to have children in the future.
Barriers to Diagnosis and Treatment
Dr. P. (Pierre Johnson, aka “The Fibroid Slayer”), noted that “Black women often face delays in diagnosing fibroids due to lower rates of health insurance and barriers to routine screenings … (which) results in the diagnosis of fibroids at more advanced stages …when (they are) and more symptomatic by the time they are identified.”
He points to other barriers to effective treatment:
Symptoms are sometimes dismissed or underestimated by healthcare providers.
Lack of insurance, high out-of-pocket costs, and restricted access to specialty care contribute to these barriers.
Black women are less likely to receive advanced or less invasive treatments for fibroids and are more frequently recommended for hysterectomy.
Higher rates of obesity among Black women are associated with a greater risk of fibroids, as excess body fat can influence hormone levels and fibroid growth.
Black women frequently face higher levels of stress due to systemic inequities and may experience more severe fibroid symptoms as a result.
Prevention
In an AFRO News article, Dr. Nekia Barrow, an OBGYN with MedStar Health, noted that although further research is needed about fibroids overall, “What we do know is that diet – high and sort of fatty foods, red meat, beef dairy certain processed foods – can definitely increase the risk of fibroids growing and symptoms from the fibroids.”
In the same article, Dr. Ashley Davis, an endometriosis excision and fibroid surgeon said that fibroids are tied to inflammation; hence, she recommends consuming anti-inflammatory foods (e.g., salmon, tuna, and sardines, berries, nuts, and turmeric and ginger).
In addition, both doctors emphasized reducing stress, which can cause a rise in cortisol, which directly impacts menstrual cycles overall.
U-FIGHT Bill
On July 15, 2025, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), with support from Congresswomen Shontel Brown (OH-11) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) introduced the Uterine Fibroid Intervention and Gynecological Health and Treatment Act (U-FIGHT).
The bill would expand access to early screening and detection for uterine fibroids, increase, public awareness and education, support research and development of improved treatments and address health disparities, especially among Black women.
If passed, U-FIGHT legislation is one step toward better health outcomes for Black women.
Nonetheless, the reproductive health of Black women is jeopardized by federal cuts to Medicaid, the restriction of reproductive choices, and the criminalization of reproductive rights.
Today, more than ever, self-advocacy, political mobilization, and increased awareness of Black women’s health issues are paramount.
© 2025 wistajohnson.com (Reprint by permission only.) Photo: courtesy of Kindel Media