Emelia Ofori Agyemang, midwife and facility head of the Bediako Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, has advised women to undergo routine gynaecological examinations for early detection of fibroids.

Ms. Agyemang said such routine examinations help medical officers intervene early to prevent complications from fibroids.

She said the prevention and treatment of fibroids involved a combination of lifestyle choices, medical management, and surgical options.

The midwife was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Bediako, near Kpone, in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality.

She said there were no guaranteed ways to prevent fibroids, but certain lifestyles could help in their reduction.

She said they include maintaining a healthy weight and good dietary choices incorporated with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while reducing the excess intake of red meat and processed foods.

She further stated that fibroids were quite common, particularly among women of reproductive age, adding that about 70 to 80 percent of women might develop fibroids by the age of 50.

She indicated that the risk of having fibroids is based on factors such as age, race, family history, obesity, early onset of menstruation, and vitamin D deficiency.

“Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in or on the uterus that cause severe abdominal pain and heavy periods, and their common symptoms may include heavy bleeding between or during periods, menstrual cramping, pain in the pelvis or lower back, pressure or fullness in the lower abdomen, swelling or enlargement of the abdomen, among others,” she stated.

The midwife emphasised that there were several myths surrounding uterine fibroids that could lead to misconception; these include ‘fibroids are cancerous’, and that “all women with fibroids experience severe symptoms.”

She said there are other myths, such as fibroids causing pregnancy, fibroids growing larger always, and surgery being the only treatment option.

She noted that the types of fibroids were dependent on their location in the women, adding that intramural fibroids grow in the muscular uterine, while cervical fibroids are in the body of the cervix.

Ms. Agyemang said fibroids treatment could be surgical or non-surgical, advising women with fibroids to do regular follow-ups with their healthcare providers even after treatment to monitor for any regrowth and manage symptoms effectively.