From childbirth to menstruation, pain has often been treated as an unavoidable part of womanhood. It is regarded as something to be managed quietly rather than investigated. It also is often said that, women are built to endure. For many Black women living with fibroids, that expectation of endurance can become particularly costly.
Uterine fibroids are benign growths that develop from the muscle tissue of the uterus. They are common and may cause no symptoms at all. For some women, they can result in heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, severe cramps, pelvic pain and pressure, anaemia, pain during sex, and difficulties with fertility.
What makes the conversation more urgent for Black women is the disproportionate burden. Research consistently shows that fibroids occur more frequently in Black women, tend to appear at younger ages and can be larger, more numerous and more symptomatic. A 2024 review noted that fibroids may affect up to 70 per cent of women by age 50, with Black women experiencing a significantly higher burden than White women.
The disparity has become so familiar that fibroids are sometimes described as the “Black woman’s curse.” But while the phrase captures the frustration of women who have lived with the condition, it can also make fibroids sound like an inevitable fate which, they actually are not. What is undeniable, however, is that many women continue to live with symptoms for years before seeking or receiving appropriate care.
