The Uterine Exchange

Lupita Nyong’o and Venus Williams sharing their fibroid journeys during Fibroid Awareness Month might be the spark we need to end the silence around uterine health. Learn how they advocated for themselves and how their stories are helping us reimagine what true care and support should look like.

34-year-old Alana knows firsthand the challenges of living with fibroids. Diagnosed in 2014, her experience with the condition spans a decade of ups and downs that she is still learning to manage and live with.

If you’ve ever had a keloid or been diagnosed with fibroids, it might be important for you to know there may be a connection between the two. We know from research that more than 80% of Black women will be diagnosed with fibroids by age 50, but new research is helping us understand how fibroids and keloids might be connected, especially for Black women.

For nearly two decades, a battle raged within Misha’s body. In her early years, Misha’s symptoms, such as excruciating pain and heavy bleeding, signaled that something was abnormal. “I started having heavy periods as a teenager, and they were accompanied by massive clotting. This led to severe anemia, requiring bi-monthly iron infusions and several emergency blood transfusions,” she recalls.

In recent years, research has suggested a potential link between the use of hair relaxers or chemical straighteners and conditions like uterine cancer, fibroids, and even breast and ovarian cancer. Given that a majority of Black women grew up using these products and the mentioned conditions are statistically more often diagnosed in Black women, it’s not hard to see why Black women have latched onto this research, spread it amongst ourselves, and expressed ongoing frustration about it.

For many women that have experienced hormone imbalance over an extended period of time, it can be difficult to know which changes are worth investigating further with the guidance of a physician. It wasn’t until a routine visit in 2023 that Tiffany's doctor discovered a dense lower abdomen and recommended an ultrasound. The results confirmed what her friends had suspected—fibroids.

Jazz's story is proof that seeking multiple medical opinions can be lifesaving. Now 38 years old, Jazz’s journey from fibroids to motherhood offers hope and inspiration to other Black women facing similar challenges, reminding them that with faith and perseverance, answered prayers are indeed possible.

At 31, Shay found herself navigating fibroids, a complex and often misunderstood womb-related condition. The past few years have been marked by severe symptoms, countless medical visits, and trial and error to manage her condition. Shay’s journey is a reminder that the road to healing is not always straightforward.