If you are not talking about fibroids with your daughter, you could be condemning her to a lifetime of ignorance and fibroid dominance
There are many articles out there about treating fibroids but I struggle to find relevant content to raise awareness in young women. A lot of articles deal with “after the fact” when a diagnosis is confirmed. What about the millions of women who don’t have fibroids or show little to no symptoms?
In this article, I’ll strip away all the fluff on fibroid treatment and stick with what will help you, as a mother, to start the conversations that can help stop fibroids dominating your daughter’s lives.
It is no secret that uterine fibroids now dominate a lot of women’s lives. In fact, studies show that fibroids develop more frequently in women of African origin.
One study found that, by age 50, 70 percent of whites and 80 percent of African Americans had fibroids.
As a young girl, I knew nothing about fibroids and neither didmy mother. I did anatomy as part of my Biology class: no mention of fibroids and definitely not mentioned in the few Health Education classes I had in my all-girls school. Is it a wonder that I was ignorant of the symptoms? My periods were heavy but I thought that was normal.
Research shows that the more early knowledge and awareness young people have about their health, the lower the risk of serious health complaints later in life
So, what are fibroids and why can they be a problem for women?
Fibroids or uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb (uterus). Their growth is controlled by estrogen and progesterone, two hormones that regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle.
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Some women experience little or no symptoms of fibroids growth.
There are, however, women who experience symptoms such as:
- period pain,
- heavy and prolonged bleeding
- constipation
- pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse
On the rare occasion, women can experience:
- complications during pregnancy
- infertility
The earlier conversations start, the better.
It would have made such a difference if I had conversations about fibroids with my mother. I would have ‘joined the dots’ and been able to seek medical advice earlier. For some young women, the symptoms may be minimal and thisis the perfect opportunity to start looking at your diet, lifestyle and environmental factors that can contribute towards fibroid growth.
“Not talking yet, there is no time like the present”
Don’t worry if you feel that you don’t feel you know enough
There is a advice on fibroids both online and offline
Start with large health organizations such as the NHS in the UK and the National Women's Health Network, Check out online forums where you can often find cases and stories similar to your situation. Booking an appointment with your doctor or a gynecologist is also an option for getting more information, particularly on fibroid symptoms
Continue talking. Seek medical advice, if required
The saying “the more a daughter knows the details of her mother's life, the stronger the daughter” is never truer than in the case where that conversation is about health. It sets that daughter to be better prepared and ‘stronger’ in dealing with the health issues that could impact their life, e.g. fibroids.
That conversation can be captured, for example, in a mother/daughter diary for reference later.
If in doubt or concerned, seek advice from a health/medical practitioner
So there you go!
Are you ready to start conversing about fibroids? By the way, that conversation can take place between aunt and niece or grandmother and granddaughter. The truth is that conversations need to happen to raise awareness about reproductive health with young people as early as possible. The sources of information and advice are there, online and offline. Just go for it!! It can make all the difference for the future health and wellbeing of our young ladies
Iyabo Agiri owns and runs a blog, fibroidwellbeing.com, which aims to raise awareness of fibroid dominance with black women. She is a working mother, living in London, and suffered the symptoms of uterine fibroids for many years. For some black women, the subject of fibroids can be confusing and upsetting. Iyabo strives to alleviate this by offering simple and valuable content which improves understanding of fibroid dominance, and its avoidance, through nutrition and lifestyle.
