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Risk factors for fibroids

You're more likely to get fibroids if:

  • You are of childbearing age (you're most likely to get fibroids in your 30s or 40s)
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Stewart EA.
    Uterine fibroids.
    Lancet. 2001; 357: 293-298.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Moorehead ME, Conard CJ.
    Uterine leiomyoma: a treatable condition.
    Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2001; 948: 121-129.
     
     
     
     
     
     2
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Marshall LM, Spiegelman D, Barbieri RL, et al.
    Variation in the incidence of uterine leiomyoma among premenopausal women by age and race.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1997; 90: 967-973.
     
     
     
     
     
     3
  • You started having your periods early (before about 12)
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Stewart EA.
    Uterine fibroids.
    Lancet. 2001; 357: 293-298.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Moorehead ME, Conard CJ.
    Uterine leiomyoma: a treatable condition.
    Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2001; 948: 121-129.
     
     
     
     
     
     2
  • You don't have any children
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al.
    Epidemiologic characteristics of women with uterine fibroids: a case-control study.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1988; 72: 853-857.
     
     
     
     
     
     4
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Ross RK, Pike MC, Vessey MP, et al.
    Risk factors for uterine fibroids: reduced risk associated with oral contraceptives.
    BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1986; 293: 359-362.
     
     
     
     
     
     5
  • You had your last child at a young age
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al.
    Epidemiologic characteristics of women with uterine fibroids: a case-control study.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1988; 72: 853-857.
     
     
     
     
     
     4
  • You're very overweight (
     
     
     
     
     
    obesity
    If your body stores more energy than you need for daily functioning, this can make you overweight. The excess energy is stored in your fat cells. If your weight goes above a certain level, doctors call this obesity. Obesity is considered a medical condition. The excess weight can be a strain on your bones and joints. And if you are obese, you're more likely to get other diseases. Doctors have developed a scale for telling how much excess weight you have. This measure, called the body mass index (BMI), depends on your height.
     
     
     
     
     
     obese)
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Ross RK, Pike MC, Vessey MP, et al.
    Risk factors for uterine fibroids: reduced risk associated with oral contraceptives.
    BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1986; 293: 359-362.
     
     
     
     
     
     5
  • Someone in your family has fibroids
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Stewart EA.
    Uterine fibroids.
    Lancet. 2001; 357: 293-298.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Moorehead ME, Conard CJ.
    Uterine leiomyoma: a treatable condition.
    Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2001; 948: 121-129.
     
     
     
     
     
     2
  • You are black. Black women are three times more likely than white women to have fibroids.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Stewart EA.
    Uterine fibroids.
    Lancet. 2001; 357: 293-298.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Moorehead ME, Conard CJ.
    Uterine leiomyoma: a treatable condition.
    Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2001; 948: 121-129.
     
     
     
     
     
     2
You're less likely to get fibroids if:

  • You've had several children. Women who have had five children have only a fifth of the risk of getting fibroids compared with women who haven't had any children
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Ross RK, Pike MC, Vessey MP, et al.
    Risk factors for uterine fibroids: reduced risk associated with oral contraceptives.
    BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1986; 293: 359-362.
     
     
     
     
     
     5
  • You had your last child when you were over 35
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Schwartz SM.
    Epidemiology of uterine leiomyomata.
    Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2001; 44: 316-326.
     
     
     
     
     
     6
  • You've used the birth control pill. And the longer you've used it, the less likely you are to get fibroids.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Chiaffarino F, Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, et al.
    Use of oral contraceptives and uterine fibroids: results from a case-control study.
    British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1999; 106: 857-860.
     
     
     
     
     
     7 For example, women who have used the pill for 10 years are almost a third less likely to get fibroids
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al.
    Epidemiologic characteristics of women with uterine fibroids: a case-control study.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1988; 72: 853-857.
     
     
     
     
     
     4
  • You've had shots of a birth-control medication called medroxyprogesterone (brand names include Depo-Provera).
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Lumbiganon P, Rugpao S, Phandhu-fung S, et al.
    Protective effect of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate on surgically treated uterine leiomyomas: a multicentre case-control study.
    British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1996; 103: 909-914.
     
     
     
     
     
     8 This drug reduces your chances of getting fibroids for at least 10 years after the last shot
  • You're past menopause.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al.
    Epidemiologic characteristics of women with uterine fibroids: a case-control study.
    Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1988; 72: 853-857.
     
     
     
     
     
     4 After menopause, you're much less likely to get fibroids.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Schwartz SM.
    Epidemiology of uterine leiomyomata.
    Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2001; 44: 316-326.
     
     
     
     
     
     6

Sources for the information on this page:
  1. Stewart EA.Uterine fibroids.Lancet. 2001; 357: 293-298.
  2. Moorehead ME, Conard CJ.Uterine leiomyoma: a treatable condition.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2001; 948: 121-129.
  3. Marshall LM, Spiegelman D, Barbieri RL, et al.Variation in the incidence of uterine leiomyoma among premenopausal women by age and race.Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1997; 90: 967-973.
  4. Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al.Epidemiologic characteristics of women with uterine fibroids: a case-control study.Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1988; 72: 853-857.
  5. Ross RK, Pike MC, Vessey MP, et al.Risk factors for uterine fibroids: reduced risk associated with oral contraceptives.BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1986; 293: 359-362.
  6. Schwartz SM.Epidemiology of uterine leiomyomata.Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2001; 44: 316-326.
  7. Chiaffarino F, Parazzini F, La Vecchia C, et al.Use of oral contraceptives and uterine fibroids: results from a case-control study.British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1999; 106: 857-860.
  8. Lumbiganon P, Rugpao S, Phandhu-fung S, et al.Protective effect of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate on surgically treated uterine leiomyomas: a multicentre case-control study.British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1996; 103: 909-914.
This information was last updated on Oct 16, 2009
BMJ Group
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.
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