OVER

2007

Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are growths in the 

womb (uterus). They are made of 

muscle and other tissue. Fibroids 

almost never develop into cancer. 

Uterine fibroids are very common in 

women of childbearing age. No one 

knows what causes fibroids.

Fibroids affect more than 1 in every 

5 women under age 50. They are 

the cause for 3 out of every 10 

hysterectomies. Hysterectomy is 

surgery to take out the womb.

Who is at risk for fibroids?

• African American women have a 

greater risk than white women.

• Women who are overweight have 

greater risk than those who are 

not.

What are the symptoms?

Many women don’t feel any 

symptoms. Without symptoms, you 

probably won’t even know that you 

have fibroids. Fibroids can cause 

these symptoms:

• Heavy bleeding or painful periods

• Bleeding between periods

• Feeling “full” in the lower part of 

your belly

• Needing to use the bathroom 

often

• Pain during sex

• Lower back pain

• Not being able to have a baby 

(infertility), losing a baby 

(miscarriages), and early labor 

during pregnancy

Where do fibroids grow?

Fibroids can grow in different areas 

of the womb, such as:

• Inside the wall of the womb.

• From the wall of the womb 

outward, into the lower pelvic or 

belly area.

• From wall of the womb inward, 

close to the lining of the womb. 

This type causes heavy, long 

periods of bleeding.

Will my womb (uterus) be taken 

out?

If you need treatment, talk to your 

doctor to see what is best for you. 

Taking out the womb may not be 

the best choice for every woman. 

A woman would not want this form 

of treatment if she wants to have 

children.

What if I still want to have a child?

In some cases, fibroids can stop 

a woman from getting pregnant. 

Doctors have ways to treat fibroids 

and to help you get pregnant. These 

treatments can often improve your 

chances of having a successful 

pregnancy.
FDA Office of Women’s Health http://www.fda.gov/womens

TAKE TIME TO CARE... For yourself, for those who need you.

What are the treatments?

The form of treatment depends on 

a few things:

• Does the woman have symptoms?

• Does she want to have a child?

• How large are the fibroids?

• How old is the woman?

Treatment choices include:

• Pain medicines.

• Shrinking the fibroids without 

surgery:

o By decreasing the blood 

flow to them (uterine artery 

embolization).

o By destroying the fibroids with 

heat (magnetic resonanceguided focused ultrasound).

• Surgery to take out the fibroids 

without taking out the womb 

(myomectomy).

• Surgery to take out the womb 

(hysterectomy). Hysterectomy 

might be a good choice if:

o You don’t want any more 

children AND you are in a lot of 

pain from your fibroids.

o Your periods are so heavy that 

you have a very low blood count 

(anemia).

Talk to your doctor about the kinds 

of hysterectomy that are available.

Do fibroids cause cancer?

Fibroids almost never develop into 

a muscle type of cancer. Having 

fibroids does not increase your risk 

for getting other kinds of cancer in 

the womb.

Do they ever go away?

Fibroids usually stop growing 

or shrink after menopause (“the 

change of life”).

To Learn More:

National Institute of Child Health & Human Development

P.O. Box 3006

Rockville, MD 20847

Phone: 1-800-370-2943

Fax: 301-984-1473

http://www.nichd.nih.gov

Fibroids