Nkechi, Amaka, Philomena, come and sit down. This one is for every woman who has ever heard something about fibroids and just believed it, because it sounded true, because your aunty said it, or because that woman at the salon swore it happened to her cousin. Even Emeka and Pius, come and sit down, because you too need to inform every woman in your life about the truth.

Fibroids are one of the most common conditions affecting women in this country. Research shows that up to seven or even eight out of every ten Black women will develop fibroids at some point before they turn fifty. Yes, before 50. That is not a small number. That is almost every woman you know. So today, we are not gossiping about fibroids. We are scattering the Lies About Fibroids. Seven of them. One by one. Let’s go.

Lie number one: Fibroids are Spiritual Attack

“Fibroids are caused by a spiritual attack, a curse, or an enemy in the village.”

That is a big lie! See, let me explain what is actually happening in your body. Every month, your body produces hormones called estrogen and progesterone. Think of these hormones as fertilizer. They are the same hormones that prepare your womb for pregnancy every cycle. Fibroids are simply muscle tissue in the womb that responds too strongly to that fertilizer. It grows into small small small, round lumps. Nobody fully understands why some women’s bodies react this way and others do not. They are still doing research. But we know it is more common in Black women. This is biology. Not a curse. Not village people.

Lie number two: No Pain, No Firbroids

“If you are not in pain, you do not have fibroids, so there is nothing to check.”

This lie is veeeery dangerous, because it keeps women away from hospital until it is almost too late. See, studies have shown that many women with fibroids feel nothing at all. No pain, no unusual bleeding, nothing. The fibroid can sit there quietly for years, growing slowly, while the woman carrying it feels like everything is fine.

Think of it like when your roof is leaking during dry season. You will not notice it until the rain starts falling directly on your bed. Meaning that by the time many Nigerian women finally go to hospital, their fibroid has already grown very big. This is what many doctors are seeing in the hospital. Big fibroids mean more complicated surgery, more risk, and a longer recovery.

Nkechi, feeling fine today does not mean everything is fine inside. That is exactly why you need to go for checkups from time to time. Full body checkup. Just to be sure. You don’t have to wait till you notice symptoms.

Lie number three: Pregnant is Impossible with Fibroids

“If you have fibroids, you can never get pregnant.”

I understand why this lie spreads so fast. It involves something very personal. But this is what is really going on. Most times, whether a fibroid affects your fertility depends on two things: where it sits, and how big it is. A small fibroid on the outside wall of the womb is like a stone sitting outside your gate, it is there, but it is not blocking your entrance. Many women with fibroids like this get pregnant with no problem at all. But a large fibroid, or one growing inside where a baby would grow, is more like a big stone blocking you from opening your door. That kind can make getting pregnant harder, or increase the risk of miscarriage.

So, not all fibroids tell the same story. Every woman’s case is different, and only a proper ultrasound scan by a gynaecologist can tell you which story you are living. Please don’t believe this lie and just conclude on your own. Let your doctor check you.

Lie number four: Miracle Products That Dissolve and Remove it

This one has affected many women’s health and has even made them waste their money. They told you:

“Drink this agbo, this “miracle” powder, and your fibroids will dissolve and disappear.”

VERY. BIG. LIE. This is the truth, and I need all of you, including the ones that have forwarded one of these WhatsApp voice notes to hear it. Philo, listen to me. Nigeria’s own drug regulator, NAFDAC, has warned people about Nigerians about unapproved herbal products, all these sellers that are advertising all these things, saying they cure fibroids, ovarian cysts, and even cancer. There is no research or study or fact that says that all those herbal mixtures can cure fibroids.

When you believe that lie, the person that is selling that small bottle for eight or sixteen thousand naira will just be collecting your money, while your fibroid keeps growing in the background. Can you see that it is actually making the problem worse? Please and please, go to the hospital, see a gynaecologist, and get proper treatment.

Lie number five: Fribroid is Equal to Cancer

“Fibroids are cancer, or they will eventually turn into cancer.”

This lie causes so much unnecessary fear, so let me put your mind at rest. Wetu obi. Fibroids are what doctors call benign. That is a medical way of saying “not cancer, and will not spread through the body.” Fibroids do not ‘turn into’ cancer. There is a very rare type of cancer called leiomyosarcoma that can sometimes look like a fibroid on a scan, which is why doctors monitor you. But it is very rare.

Fibroids can be painful. They can affect your life in many ways. But it is not written anywhere that they are all cancerous, please stop carrying that fear.

Lie number six: Condemns The Entire Womb

“Once you are diagnosed with fibroids, the only option left is to remove your entire womb.”

This is one of the biggest reasons women delay treatment. They are afraid of losing their womb, especially if they have not had children yet, or they want more children. But a hysterectomy, the medical word for removing the womb, is not the only option that your doctor can offer.

Depending on the size, number, and position of the fibroids, a doctor might recommend medication to shrink them or control bleeding. Or a surgery called myomectomy, which removes only the fibroids and does not affect the womb. Think of it like when you go to the farm to remove weeds. There’s also something called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), where doctors block the blood supply to the fibroids, making them shrink without surgery.

So, Nkechi. Talk to a qualified gynaecologist. Don’t let fear make the decision for you.

Lie number seven: Only Affects Older Women and Mothers

“Fibroids are only for older women, and only for women who have never given birth.”

Asiiiii. Iroooooo. How do they say lie in your language?

Yes, fibroids become more common from the 30s upward, but that does not mean that a woman in her 20s cannot have fibroids. Even in women who already have children. Having a baby does not give you permanent immunity, and being young does not either. That lie is dangerous because it makes younger women assume the pelvic pain, the heavy periods, the bloating, must be something else, anything else, because they believe “fibroids are for older women.” Meanwhile, the fibroid keeps growing. Please and please, see a doctor.

I have made videos talking about fibroids, they’re on my YouTube channel, shey you can see the screen? Click on the play icon above to open my channel, watch it, and know more.

Amaka, Philomena, Nkechi, if you have been postponing that scan because you were scared, because someone told you it is spiritual, or because you believed one agbo or herbal mixture will help you, this is your sign. Book the scan. Talk to a real gynaecologist. AwaDoc is here for you, anyday, anytime. Just talk to AwaDoc by clicking here.

And please and please, Emeka o, Pius o, Philo, NK, please share this with every woman in your life. You don’t know who might need it. You may just be saving someone’s life.