July marks the beginning of Fibroid Awareness Month, a time to bring awareness to a common yet under-discussed health issue affecting 20% to 80% of women by the time they reach age 50.
Unlike a lot of women, Elizabeth Coleman knew uterine fibroids were the cause of her abnormally heavy painful periods but never did she think that they could ruin her chances of becoming a mother.
"I remember getting the call that they had found 11, one of which was sitting inside of my uterine cavity," said Coleman. "I was devastated thinking that this would never happen for me because of these fibroids, one of which was sitting exactly where a baby would sit in my uterus," she said.
According to the FDA, uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus of women of childbearing age.
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They are more common in African Americans than in white, Latino, or Asian women and the cause of fibroids is unknown.
While most fibroids do not cause any symptoms, some common symptoms include abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, enlargement of the lower abdomen, frequent urination, complications with pregnancy, reproductive problems and more.
Fibroids typically resolve after menopause, but it is a leading reason for hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) in the United States when they cause severe symptoms.
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"Although about 80% of African American women will have it and 70% of women may have it in a lifetime overall, it is something that is probably not discussed as much as it should be with those numbers," said fertility specialist and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Tiffanny Jones.
She said genetics might be a reason behind their prevalence in women of color but treatments have come a long way.
Now, there are less invasive options and better surgical techniques.
Coleman had surgery to remove all 11 fibroids and now she's pregnant with twins, due in a matter of days.
"The miracle here is without removing those fibroids, there's absolutely no way I would be able to be currently carrying 13 pounds of baby," said Coleman.
