A new American study published in Human Reproduction and presented at the ESHRE 2025 conference in Paris offers a stark view of the risks. Drawing from a U.S. registry of nearly 90,000 women with intramural fibroids, the research found strong links between fibroids and serious pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, preterm birth, placental abnormalities, and emergency cesarean deliveries.
The data is striking: a 1.85-fold higher risk of hypertensive disorders. A 2.4-fold higher likelihood of placenta previa. A 7.26-fold increase in C-section rates. And beyond the statistics lie the very real costs to maternal well-being, emotional health and long-term fertility.
Yet despite these risks, many women remain undiagnosed, either because they normalize their symptoms or because they lack access to timely, comfortable and stigma-free gynecologic care.
This July, in recognition of International Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month, it’s time to stop treating fibroids as a silent burden and start approaching them as a public health priority. That begins with awareness, and demands accessible, preventive care.
The gap between how common this condition is and how accessible early detection tools are should no longer be acceptable. Many women don’t get diagnosed in time — not out of neglect, but because they’ve experienced invasive exams, had their pain dismissed, or simply lack convenient access to care.
One case that has stayed with me is that of a healthy 29-year-old woman preparing to start a family. With no alarming symptoms and no particular reason to be concerned, she decided to screen herself as a precaution.
Using an at-home 3D ultrasound system that enables women to scan privately and receive immediate clinical interpretation, she discovered a fibroid she never knew existed. Because it was caught early, she began monitoring, received appropriate care, and today she’s a mother — and expecting her second child.
Her story isn’t extraordinary — it’s simply what becomes possible when detection happens in time. And it reinforces what we already know: early diagnosis isn’t a luxury in women’s health, it’s a necessity.
Too often in women’s health, we wait for symptoms to become unbearable before we act. We treat fibroids when they’re too large, intervene when fertility is already compromised, and only start conversations about reproductive health when a crisis demands it.
This model is no longer acceptable. The future of women’s health must be proactive. It must center accessibility, comfort and trust. And it must use every tool available, including AI and telehealth, to empower women before they reach a breaking point.
Dr. Nadia PrisantFibroids are not just a medical issue. They are a mirror reflecting how we value women’s pain, agency, and time. By normalizing early screening and giving women the tools to know their own bodies, we change the narrative, from one of silent endurance to informed action.
Lupita Nyong’o bravely shared her story. Let’s not wait for more women to suffer in silence before we act on what we already know: early detection saves futures.
-
Dr. Nadia Prisant is a fertility specialist and Chief Medical Officer at IMMA Health, a company combining AI-powered digital tools and high-quality medical devices to make reproductive and pelvic care more accessible.
