Uterine Fibroids: Causes, Treatment, and Impact on Fertility

What do you need to know about uterine fibroids if you want to get pregnant? We talk with Dr. Desiree McCarthy-Keith, is the Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility Atlanta and a Board Certified OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist. She also has a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health. She has been listed in Atlanta Magazine’s Top Doctors for Infertility from 2017-2021 and as one of Black Health Magazine’s Most Influential African American Doctors.

In this episode, we cover:

• What are uterine fibroids?
• What are the main symptoms of fibroids?
• Who is most at risk for having fibroids?
• Is there a genetic connection to uterine fibroids? Do fibroids pass through families?
• Why do some fibroids grow very slowly and others rapidly? Is the speed the fibroid is growing something to worry about? How should women track this?
• Are fibroids always a problem requiring treatment?
• How to diagnoses fibroids.
• Symptom distinction between endometriosis and fibroid?
• What is the best way to medically treat uterine fibroids?
• Are their alternative medicinal treatments that have been seen to be effective at treating uterine fibroids?
• When is a hysterectomy the preferred treatment?
• Skill of surgeon is important when using a surgical treatment. How can a patient determine the surgeon’s skill?
• Can fibroids cause infertility?
• Impact of fibroids on pregnancy?
• What happens to fibroids during pregnancy? If a woman knows she has fibroids, what should she be aware of when she is pregnant?
• Are their lifestyle factors that contribute to having fibroids or worsening fibroids once you have them?
• Does diet affect fibroids?
• Are women with fibroids at a higher risk for uterine cancer or reproductive tract cancers?
• What other routine medical treatment should women with fibroids make sure they receive?
• What can infertility nurses do to help patients with fibroid.
• Other health issues associated with fibroids.
• Are tampons safe to use? Do they cause or contribute to fibroids? Are the sponge and cup safe to use or better to use?
• What happens to fibroids after menopause?

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