Design: Data was obtained through a national survey using Cloud Research Connect, an online survey platform, from March 4th-6th, 2024. Survey categories included demographics, health literacy, general fibroid questions, symptoms, treatment options available, and personal history of fibroids. The survey answers were graded and scored by percent correct.
Setting: Online
Patients or Participants: Individuals living in the United States who identify as either Black, Afro-Caribbean, or white, 18 years of age or older, and were assigned female sex at birth. Participants were screened prior to taking the survey through Cloud Research.
Interventions: Survey
Measurements and Main Results: Of the 486 eligible participants who completed the survey 48.15% (n=234) identified as Black; 48.77% (n=237); as White; and 3.09% (n=15) as other. There were 22.6% participants who had been told that they have fibroids, with no significant difference by race. Among those with fibroids, significant differences in the prevalence of hysterectomy were observed with Black women reporting the highest proportion at 8.15%, compared to 2.53% of White women (p<0.05). Almost two-thirds of participants agreed or strongly agreed to having self-reported good understanding of fibroids with significant difference observed in Black participants at 73.1% compared to 55.3% in White participants (p<0.001). No significant differences by race were seen in scores for health literacy, understanding of what fibroids are, or understanding of fibroid treatment (including medical and surgical). However, significant differences existed among scores for understanding of fibroid symptoms with Black participants having the highest average score ( P<0.011).
Conclusion: Black women are more likely to have a hysterectomy because of fibroids, but also have more knowledge related to fibroids, particularly regarding symptoms, when compared to White participants.