KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Health experts say that around 70% of women will develop fibroids in their lifetime — benign, smooth muscle tumors around their uterus. They aren't cancerous, but they can bring severe symptoms.
And although they can cause health challenges in many women, many do not know what they are. Fibroids Awareness Month is in July and is meant to inform women about this common health issue.
“I had no idea what they even were until I went to the doctor and found out that I had one,” said Tiffany Givens, who struggled with Fibroids.
Dr. Stephanie Cross, a gynecology professor at the University of Tennessee, urged women to remember that fibroids are not cancerous, even if they cause pain and discomfort.
“I have had a lot of issues the past year just with my monthlies, and just with a lot of pain and stuff that comes with it,” said Givens.
The pain was so severe for her that she ended up in the hospital. She drove herself and her doctor did an ultrasound. There, the doctor found a tumor — a fibroid that was around 5 cm large. Health experts say that is larger than most fibroids.
Givens ended up having to get a hysterectomy at just 41 years old.
“It was a very traumatic experience that I went through, mentally and physically,” she said.
Although Givens needed to undergo a hysterectomy, Dr. Cross said that there are usually other treatment options for women with fibroids. She said that most of the time, doctors can simply remove the tumors in surgery.
However, she also warned that there are some cases when fibroids return after being removed. Givens said that if a woman needs to undergo a hysterectomy because of them, it helps to have family and friends at her side.
“I'm gonna start a bonfire and I'm throwing all my pads and tampons in a bonfire. I'm having a little ceremony,” said Givens.