Africa-Press – Botswana. Founded with a mission to raise awareness, provide support, and advocate for women affected by uterine fibroids, the Fibroid Society of Botswana officially launched today at Travel Lodge, Gaborone.
The launch featureed a panel of insightful health speakers, along with a presentation of the society’s goals and upcoming initiatives. Speaking in an interview, the society’s founder, Ms Teresa Anam, said personal experience birthed the initiative.
“I was diagnosed with fibroids at the age of 21, while a student, there wasn’t much information available about the condition,” she said.
She recalled waking up one day in excruciating pain, with a visible, lump-like swelling on one side of her abdomen.
“My immediate reaction was to rush to the hospital. That’s when the doctors told me I had fibroids,” she said.
Despite being a pharmacy student, she admitted to being in shock and confusion.
“I just didn’t understand why it was happening to me or where it came from,” she said.
The fibroids had grown to a size that made her abdomen appear swollen, as if she was pregnant, and caused frequent restroom visits due to the pressure they placed on surrounding organs and her blood supply.
It was during that difficult period that she decided to start her own research to inform herself and help others affected by fibroids. July 2023, she launched the first fibroids awareness campaign as the Fibroid Awareness Month, at Liberty Clinic that offered free pelvic exams.
“We screened 55 people, and 10 of them were found to have fibroids, most of whom didn’t even know they had the condition,” she said.
In 2024, she formally registered the society the first of its kind in the country.
“We want people to know we are here. Fibroids are a silent pandemic. There’s a lot of stigma and misinformation around them. Some people believe they are caused by witchcraft or are a sign that a woman has had many partners, but in reality, fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that form as lumps in the uterus,” she added
She appealed to the public, corporate sponsors, and other stakeholders to support the society through donations and funding. These resources, she said, will help them further their mission through educating the public and supporting underprivileged women to get proper healthcare.
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