Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson has shared her personal struggle with fibroids, revealing she endured a decade of pain before receiving help.
Forson took to social media platform X to announce that July is Fibroid Awareness Month and to encourage others facing similar battles.
“July is Fibroid Awareness Month. To the women who’ve had to live in constant pain, multiple surgeries, questions about children, if you’re pregnant because of how you look, or the fear that you never will; you’re not alone. I lived in pain for 10 years before I got help,” Forson wrote in her post.
She detailed the intense pain she experienced and expressed gratitude for no longer living in such discomfort. “Today I’m grateful that I don’t have to live in so much pain, grateful that no one else will find me on a bathroom floor too paralyzed to move. Grateful that I don’t have to be rushed into an emergency and even more grateful that I’m alive to share my story when some aren’t,” she added.
Forson noted that the worst part of her journey was not the surgery itself, thanks to the excellent care provided by her doctors.
She urged women to undergo medical checks to ensure their health is in good standing.
“My story is a lot more complicated than I’ve shared, and this is just a summary. But to any woman reading this, I do hope you’re inspired to run tests, ask questions about your body, and also not feel so alone with the things you have to live with,” she further noted.
July is Fibroid Awareness Month, an initiative aimed at drawing attention to uterine fibroids—a condition affecting millions of women worldwide.
The month is also intended to promote additional research and funding for this common but often under-discussed condition.
In Ghana, the prevalence of uterine fibroids is significant. Studies indicate a high occurrence rate, with research conducted in South-Central Ghana showing the average age at first diagnosis to be 36.29 years.
The highest frequency of diagnoses falls within the 35-39 age group.
Another study on clinical presentations and ultrasonographic features of uterine fibroids in Ghanaian adults found the mean age of patients diagnosed with uterine fibroids to be 37.1 years, with most cases occurring in the fourth to fifth decade of life.
These findings highlight the widespread impact of uterine fibroids among Ghanaian women, underscoring the need for further research and interventions to address this prevalent gynecological condition in the region.
