This article is part ofUterine Fibroids and Black Women, a destination in our Health Divide series.
Xiaoyu Liu / Verywell
Many people withuterine fibroidsstruggle to access treatment, but getting care is particularly difficult for Black people and people of color.
These disparities extend to treatment, too: Black women are more likely to havesurgery to remove the fibroids(or the uterus) than they are to receive nonsurgical treatments likemedicationsor noninvasive procedures.
Access to care can be a major issue with fibroids. Thepain and other symptoms that fibroidscan cause will only get worse if left untreated. If a person has barriers to accessing adequate healthcare—such as cost or the lack of transportation—their fibroids may grow to the point where noninvasive or smaller surgical procedures would not be helpful and a hysterectomy might be needed to treat them.
How Uterine Fibroids Are Diagnosed
Jessica Shepherd, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Verywell Health and a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, discusses the biggest barriers to fibroid care and highlights the fibroid-specific resources that are available to people who need them.
Verywell Health: What are the biggest obstacles to getting the proper care for fibroids?
Dr. Shepherd:There is a healthcare disparity with fibroids—more African American women and women of color have them. There are so many issues and symptoms from fibroids that impact daily lives, yet there are women who say they can’t get to someone who can help them.
If you look at literature, there have been many studies that show that open hysterectomies are performed more often in the South and more often on Black women. That can pose an issue because the recovery time ranges anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks for these women, who may not have that kind of time to take off from work. Access to and resources about more minimally-invasive procedures would be beneficial.
Fibroids also have a financial cost—both for the individuals who have them and for society. According to a 2017 report, the direct annual healthcare costs for fibroids are over $9.4 billion. The cost of lost wages and sort-term disability is more than $5 billion.
In general, the topic of fibroids needs to be discussed more. We need to get to a point where women feel that they have enough education and information. This is where we need to do a better job.
Verywell Health: Why are there more hysterectomies for fibroids in Black patients than in white patients?
Dr. Shepherd:I think that there is a serious racial disparity in health care overall. As far as the management of fibroids andhysterectomy, I think that many times, other options are not offered. Fibroids can be so debilitating. But patients who don’t have time to take off work to see a doctor might not do so until it’s really severe.
Fibroids may progress to a state where urgent, serious care is needed. By that point, a patient may have fewer options because it needs to be taken care of right away.
I also think there is a mistrust of going to the doctor among Black women. There is alack of representation in medicineand people feel that the information they are getting may not be the information that is best for them. There is a gap in communication between a community and how they get information. These are all barriers that might be seen between a community and healthcare providers.
Delaying Fibroid Diagnosis Put My Life in Danger
Verywell Health: What can healthcare providers do differently?
Verywell Health: What kind of healthcare professional should a person see if they are experiencing symptoms that might be related to fibroids?
Verywell Health: Are there any dedicated fibroid specialists or fibroid treatment centers?
Dr. Shepherd:There are definitely centers that focus on fibroid treatment and some doctors specialize in the medical and surgical management of fibroid. But any gynecologist can diagnose and treat fibroids. Some are just more focused on this in their practice than others, and therefore, can offer a wealth of treatment options.
1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hartmann KE et al.Management of Uterine Fibroids[Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2017 Dec. (Comparative Effectiveness Review, No. 195.) Evidence Summary.
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hartmann KE et al.Management of Uterine Fibroids[Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2017 Dec. (Comparative Effectiveness Review, No. 195.) Evidence Summary.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hartmann KE et al.Management of Uterine Fibroids[Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2017 Dec. (Comparative Effectiveness Review, No. 195.) Evidence Summary.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
