You Probably Know Someone With Fibroids. It Might Even Be You

Here’s a truth that doesn’t get said enough: fibroids are extremely common among Nigerian women. A 2023 clinical study found them in over 51% of women between ages 26 and 35. Research from central Nigeria found that when women were screened properly, 45% had fibroids, most of whom had no idea.

That number isn’t meant to frighten you. It’s meant to make you take this seriously.

Because the bigger problem isn’t fibroids themselves, it is the silence around them.

So What Exactly Are Fibroids?

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus. They’re made of muscle and fibrous tissue, and they can range from the size of a pea to-in extreme cases the size of a basketball.

They are not cancer, they almost never become cancer but that doesn’t mean they can’t turn your life upside down.

Dr. Azubuike Nkemakolam, a consultant gynaecologist and Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons, puts it plainly: “When it becomes symptomatic, heavy bleeding, persistent pain, abdominal swelling, it becomes life-altering.”

The Symptoms Women Brush Off (Please Don’t)

This is where things get personal many Nigerian women have been taught directly or indirectly that pain is part of being a woman. That heavy periods are “just how it is.” That feeling full or bloated is normal.

It isn’t always normal.

Watch out for:

• Periods that are unusually heavy or last more than 8 days; soaking through pads quickly, passing large clots
• Constant pelvic pain or pressure; even outside your period
• Abdominal swelling; being mistaken for pregnant when you’re not
• Frequent urination or constipation; fibroids pressing on nearby organs
• Difficulty getting pregnant or repeated miscarriages
• Unexplained fatigue; often from anemia caused by heavy blood loss

If any of this sounds familiar, your body may have been trying to tell you something.

Why We Wait, and Why We Shouldn’t

A 2025 study on Nigerian women with fibroids found that 62.3% presented for treatment more than six months after symptoms began. The reasons were all too familiar: fear of surgery, cost, the belief that it would go away on its own, or simply not recognising that something was wrong.

One woman in the study said she had already had three surgeries two C-sections and one fibroid removal. When the fibroids came back, she refused treatment. “Let the fibroid stay,” she said that decision is understandable. But it’s also heartbreaking.

Dr. Nkemakolam warns: “Most of the time, women have fibroids but don’t even know. So they live with it. Then they die with it.”

Waiting doesn’t make fibroids smaller. It narrows your options.

What Can Be Done About Them?

The good news: fibroids are very treatable, especially when caught early.

Depending on your age, symptoms, and whether you want to have children, your doctor may recommend:

• Watchful waiting – if fibroids are small and not causing problems
• Medication – to manage bleeding and pain (not a cure, but helpful short-term)
• Myomectomy – surgical removal of fibroids while keeping the uterus (great for women who still want to conceive)
• Hysterectomy – removal of the uterus; the only permanent cure, typically for women who’ve completed their families
• Minimally invasive options – like uterine artery embolisation, which blocks the blood supply to fibroids

And to put a common fear to rest, having fibroids does not mean you cannot get pregnant. Dr. Qudus Lawal, a gynaecologist, says: “We operate on fibroids to improve the chance of women getting pregnant.” Many women with fibroids go on to have healthy pregnancies.

The First Step Is Knowing

Most fibroids are found by accident during a routine scan done for something else entirely. That’s exactly why regular screening matters so much.

A simple pelvic ultrasound is all it takes to detect fibroids. It’s quick, painless, and can give you answers that change the entire course of your health journey.

You don’t need to be in pain to get screened. You don’t need to “feel sick.” You just need to decide that your body deserves attention.

This Is Your Sign to Book That Scan/Health Check

We believe that every woman deserves to know what’s happening in her own body without fear, without judgment, and without breaking the bank.

We offer:

• Pelvic Ultrasound – fast, accurate, and completely painless
• Comprehensive Health Check – including fibroid screening
• Special IWD Offer – 10% discount on Health Check

Ramadan Offer (until March 17): 10% off all health check packages.

on’t wait for pain to force your hand. Don’t let fear make the decision for you.

Book a scan. Know your body. Take control.

Afriglobal Medicare – Because every woman deserves to know what’s inside.

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