Fibroids cause disproportionate hurt and harm on Black women

[MINNPOST, July 17, 2023] Fibroids are not commonly talked about – and especially in the way they disproportionately impact Black women. In the U.S., Black women are three times more likely than white women to develop fibroids and also more likely to develop them at a younger age.

Researchers have looked into why Black women are getting fibroids at higher rates and younger in life, but there is no clear answer says Dr. Patricia Harper, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Allina Health’s Mercy Women's Health Clinic. Getting periods at an earlier age, vitamin D deficiency and certain environmental factors like stress, diet and history of abuse are all risk factors that have been suggested in literature, according to Harper.

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