Lived experiences of women with uterine fibroids attending Kawempe National Referral Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Uterine fibroids are the commonest benign tumors in women of reproductive age and can be found in almost 80-90% of all women by the age of 50 years. Black women are disproportionately affected by uterine fibroids, often presenting with an earlier age of onset and more severe morbidity of the condition. The symptomatic fibroids cause a huge burden of morbidity in women’s lives, and patients with fibroids suffer significant physical, emotional, and psychosocial distress. Objective: The study explored the lived experiences of women with uterine fibroids attending Kawempe National Referral Hospistal (KNRH) Methods: The study was a qualitative facility-based research that employed a phenomenological approach. Nineteen participants were recruited, selected by purposive sampling and the sample size was determined by the principle of data saturation. Data was collected by conducting in-depth interviews with help of an interview guide. Data analysis was done by manual thematic data analysis approach. The study was conducted between January 2024 and February 2024. Results: The study recruited nineteen participants (women with uterine fibroids). The participants had varying demographic characteristics. The age range of the participants was between 29 and 49 years. Five main themes emerged from the data, these were; knowledge of uterine fibroids, causes of uterine fibroids, effects of uterine fibroids, managing uterine fibroids, and coping with uterine fibroids. Women reported that fibroids negatively affect their lives to a significant magnitude. Some of the negative experiences reported by women included experiencing high levels of stress and depressive symptoms, social stigma and avoidance of public gatherings, and broken relationships with their marital partners and relatives. Women also reported some barriers to seeking medical care for condition which included the fear for surgical treatment, poor knowledge about the condition, and lack of finances. Conclusion: Uterine fibroids negatively affect the quality of lives of women living with them in chronic nature and the negative effects have a ripple effect spreading to their immediate partners and relatives, up to the bigger social circles of the victims. Recommendations: Developing strategies for patient and community sensitization about fibroids, screening and monitoring high risk women as well as provision of timely intervention for women with fibroids