Uterine Fibroids

Minority Women's Health > African Americans > Health Topics > Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are growths, made up of muscle cells and other tissues that grow in the wall of the uterus (or womb). Fibroids are sometimes called tumors, but they are almost always benign (not cancerous). Fibroids can grow as a single growth or in groups. They can be as small as an apple seed or as big as a grapefruit. Most of the time, fibroids grow in women of childbearing age.

Symptoms of fibroids include:

• heavy bleeding or painful periods
• bleeding between periods
• feeling of fullness in the pelvic area (lower abdomen)
• urinating often
• pain during sex
• lower back pain
• reproductive problems such as infertility, having more than one miscarriage, or having early onset of labor during pregnancy

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.

No one knows for sure what causes fibroids. We also don't know what makes them grow or shrink. For some women, fibroids stop growing or shrink after menopause.

African American women are two to three times more likely to get fibroids than women of other groups. Overweight or obese women are at higher risk for fibroids.

Publications

1.   Frequently Asked Questions - Uterine Fibroids - This fact sheet contains information on fibroids, the causes, who is at risk, symptoms, and treatment options.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/fibroids.htm

2.   Uterine Fibroids - This web site links to accurate and up-to-date health information about uterine fibroids.

   http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/uterinefibroids.html

3. Risk Factors (Copyright © NUFF) - This fact sheet, in a bulleted format, outlines the risk factors associated with developing uterine fibroids and which groups are more likely than others to develop the symptoms. Knowing the risk factors can help in prevention and protection from uterine fibroids.

   http://www.nuff.org/health_riskfactors.htm

4. Treatments: Uterine Artery Embolization (Copyright © UCLA Medical Group) - An on-line publication which describes the fibroid embolization procedure. This procedure blocks the blood supply that feeds the fibroids which causes the fibroids to shrink and is less invasive than a hysterectomy.

   http://www.fibroids.com/uterine-artery-embolization.aspx

5.   Uterine Fibroids: A Guide for Patients (Copyright © ASRM) - The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has developed this patient guide for uterine fibroids. This easy-to-read booklet explains the causes and types of fibroids and provides a glossary for uterine-related words.

   http://www.asrm.org/Patients/patientbooklets/uterine_fibroids.pdf

Organizations

1.   National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, HHS
2. American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
3. Division of Vascular Interventional Radiology, Georgetown University Medical Center
4. National Uterine Fibroid Foundation

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007