Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are growths, made up of muscle cells and other tissues that grow in the wall of the uterus (or womb). Fibroids are sometimes called tumors, but they are almost always benign (not cancerous). Fibroids can grow as a single growth or in groups. They can be as small as an apple seed or as big as a grapefruit. Most of the time, fibroids grow in women of childbearing age.
Symptoms of fibroids include:
heavy bleeding or painful periods
bleeding between periods
feeling of fullness in the pelvic area (lower abdomen)
urinating often
pain during sex
lower back pain
reproductive problems such as infertility, having more than one miscarriage, or having early onset of labor during pregnancy
If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.
No one knows for sure what causes fibroids. We also don't know what makes them grow or shrink. For some women, fibroids stop growing or shrink after menopause.
African American women are two to three times more likely to get fibroids than women of other groups. Overweight or obese women are at higher risk for fibroids.


Courtesy of: http://www.4woman.gov/minority/africanamerican/uf.cfm