This season, Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) star Cynthia Bailey revealed her struggle with fibroids. Her story was compelling to me. Why? Myself and so many of my black female friends have these tumors. Yet, very few of us openly discuss their adverse affects on our lives. This truth is why black females don’t get information specific to them on how to handle fibroids.
Three things black women should
know about fibroids:
- Fibroids disproportionately impact black females. According to the Women’s Health Journal, the impact of fibroids on black females (ages 29 to 59) is more severe than whites. (See:The Burden of Uterine Fibroids for African-American Women: Results of a National Survey.) Black females are more likely to miss work, be unable to engage in physical activity and bleed heavier or longer because of fibroids. As a result, quality of life for black females is severely impacted by fibroids.
- Hair relaxers increase your chances of obtaining fibroids. A report from the American Journal of Epidemiology indicates that the chemicals in hair relaxers increase a black female’s chances of developing uterine fibroids.(See: Hair Relaxer Use and Risk of Uterine Leiomyomata in African-American Women) Compared to black females who sport natural hair styles, black females with chemically relaxed hair had a higher incident of these tumors. So far, the why’s are unclear.
- Cures or management of fibroids is comprehensive. In other words, there isn’t a magic pill that instantly eradicates fibroids. The experts at Medical News Today outline a series of treatment paths for these tumors. They range from anti-inflammatory drugs to surgery. (See: What are Fibroids? What are the Treatments for Fibroids) For most black females and females in general, it’s a combination of several medical approaches that help them successfully take control of their fibroids.
In conclusion, the above are three things black females should know about fibroids. Getting the right information aids in managing fibroids in way that reduces their influence on one’s life. As demonstrated by RHOA’s Cynthia Bailey, soon after her surgical treatment to rid herself of fibroids, she felt much better. You can too.
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Sources(s):
- http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151405.php
- http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jwh.2013.4334?journalCode=jwh
- http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/10/aje.kwr351.short?rss=1
