In honor of fibroids awareness month, I thought it would be important to open a discussion about fibroids in Afro women.
In the past few years, I have noticed more women within Afro communities experiencing unfortunate dealings with fibroids. Each year, I learn of a new aunt, family friend, or community member who has developed a painful fibroid.
Knowing that the number of women with fibroids continues to rise within Black women, I wonder why this is not a bigger health concern discussion within the diaspora of Black women. Fibroids can be extremely painful, tumultuous, and traumatizing, but yet it is not something that we are creating enough awareness on.
Lets Explore
So, I wonder if the lack of awareness and discussion surrounding fibroids is partly due to the ‘suffer in silence’ and “be strong” culture common in many Afro women’s lives across all ages.
To illustrate, many of us witness our moms, aunts, and friends working long and hard hours, never complaining or seeking a helping hand. Or, delaying medical attention to “stay strong” when experiencing discomfort or pain. As women in the diaspora, we are often taught resilience.
Unfortunately, that resilience often comes at the expense of our voices and self-advocacy.
Where does this habit come from?
As women of African descent navigate Western society, our moms, grandmas, and aunties have learned to minimize their needs.
In order to show up for their children, husbands, work, and other responsibilities, a habit of pushing their pains and sufferings to the side has been indirectly enabled.
Next, a culture of internalized shame around complaining and seeking professional help is common, which often leads to health issues that grow in severity. And for some of us youth, we have picked up these practices too in our daily lives.
To continue, along with hair relaxer usage and low Vitamin D levels, research studies have shown correlations between prolonged stress and adversity and fibroids. A 2024 study conducted by Han et al, shows a correlation between psychosocial stress and fibroid formation.
Knowing this, one can only infer that unmanaged and suppressed psychosocial stress common in the Black women experience is increasing our affinity to reproductive issues -like fibroids.
As fibroids plague our community, could they be a somatic reflection of downplaying stress and adversity?
What can Black Women do?
We must work to address the current stress management practices within Black woman communities. Evidently, built up adversity and ignored emotions create long lasting negative impacts for women’s health such as in the case of fibroids.
Additionally, we should avoid complacency in watching each other deal with struggle in silence and isolation. Instead, Black women can start encouraging more outlets, advising, and seeking help in the face of adversity- rather than continuing our pattern of holding stress in.
We can make improvements in stress influenced health issues like fibroids by empowering each other to express their pains and engage in conversation about difficulties in our daily lives.
It is a start to gradually alleviating alarming health disparities facing Black women each day.
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