Fibroids will impact up to 80% of women by age 50 so why don't we know what causes them? As celebrities like Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o and tennis superstar Venus Williams share their stories on the challenges of living with fibroids, will this change things? Nam Kiwanuka speaks to entrepreneur, author and speaker Amber Mac about why she chose to talk publicly about her fibroids.

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If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support:

Wellness Together Canada

https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA

To connect with a mental health professional one-on-one:

• call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth
• call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults

Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.

The Government of Ontario’s Mental Health Support Resources

https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

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Link to report on Black women and fibroids: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3874080

Link to report on lack of medical research related to women's health: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8812498/

Link to Sunnybrook Hospital's guidance on intravenous iron treatment and typical costs: https://sunnybrook.ca/content/?page=intravenous-iron-therapy#:~:text=Do%20I%20need%20to%20pay,anemia%20did%20not%20get%20better.

Wait times for gynecological surgery in Canada and Ontario: https://healthydebate.ca/2024/01/topic/canadian-women-waiting-gynecologic-surgery/#:~:text=May%20Sanaee%2C%20a%20urogynecologist%20in,that%20also%20requires%20urgent%20attention.

Cost of annual fibroid treatments in the United States: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3292655/#:~:text=The%20estimated%20annual%20direct%20costs,$5.9%20to%20$34.4%20billion%20annually.

CBC article on why more women get Alzheimer's than men: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/alzheimer-women-risks-1.7604574

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