Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson has opened up on X about her decade-long struggle with fibroids, sharing her experience as part of Fibroid Awareness Month in July.
In her heartfelt post, Lydia aimed to support others facing similar challenges by recounting the intense pain she endured over the years.
“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.
“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 expressed that the most challenging aspect of her journey was not the surgery itself, as she was fortunate to have excellent medical care.
She advised women to undergo regular medical check-ups to ensure their health and catch potential issues early.
“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.
Fibroid Awareness Month aims to raise awareness about uterine fibroids, a condition affecting millions of women globally, and to encourage more research and funding for this often overlooked issue.
In Ghana, the prevalence of uterine fibroids is significant, with studies indicating a high rate of occurrence. Research in South-Central Ghana revealed that the average age at first diagnosis is 36.29 years, with the highest frequency of diagnoses occurring between ages 35 and 39.
Additionally, a study on the clinical presentations and ultrasonographic features of uterine fibroids in Ghanaian adults found that the mean age of diagnosis was 37.1 years, with most cases arising in the fourth to fifth decade of life.
These findings underscore the widespread nature of uterine fibroids among Ghanaian women and highlight the necessity for further research and interventions to address this common gynecological condition.
