In observance of Texas Fibrosis Awareness Month, the City of Dallas will host a Self-Care Fair on July 29 for women suffering from uterine fibrosis.
The Barbara Jordan Leadership Institute partnered with the City of Dallas, the Fibroid Institute of Dallas, and other community members to host the event and raise awareness for the health issue. According to the event website, the hope is also “to encourage women to speak with their OB/GYN about getting an updated screening for uterine fibroids and the best treatment options to protect their health.”
Attendees can partake in giveaways, on-site screenings, vendors, music, games, and more. The family-friendly event is free and will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cedar Crest Golf Club in Dallas.
Leiomyomas, or uterine fibroids, are tumors made of fibroblasts, muscle cells, and organic matter that grow within or on the uterus and are most common in women of childbearing age. They are the most common non-cancerous tumors, but the National Institutes of Health said they can cause heavy bleeding, pain, miscarriages, infertility, and other health issues.
The condition is treatable with medicine and surgery, but the only cure is the complete removal of the uterus (hysterectomy). Risk factors for this disease include age, race, family history, hypertension, and obesity.
According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, up to 80% of women will develop uterine fibrosis before menopause. Dr. Suzanne Slonim of the Fibroid Institute of Dallas told NBC 5 DFW that the affliction most commonly affects black women.
Slonim said that the most important to understand about the condition is that it is treatable and hopes that even if one is not symptomatic, it should be treated before it becomes an issue.
“You know, it’s a multifactorial problem starting from just the community that someone grows up in and the things that they have access to, to the medical situations that start differently in some communities than in others,” she added.
