The Chief Consultant Radiotherapist and Oncologist of the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Abdurasaq Oyesegun, has advised women to marry in their early 20s to avoid the possibility of developing fibroid.
Oyesegun in Abuja on Tuesday said that fibroid was on the increase.
He said fibroid was a non-cancerous growth in the womb that could sometimes cause heavy periods, abdominal swelling and urinary problems.
Oyesegun said the uterus was designed to carry baby, saying that "when such did not happened, the muscles in the uterus will then increase to the point that it will become fibroid''.
" The uterus is designed to carry baby and when the uterus cannot carry babies, then, the growth increases and the muscles kept on increasing.
"There is an increase in the incident of fibroids among women these days because women now get married late, and the only way to prevent it is for women to marry early."
He said although it was possible for young women to develop fibroid, it was not very common.
Oyesegun also said cases of fibroid among child bearing women was rare, adding " the general rule is that it is common in women who are in their 30s".
According to him, early marriage would also enable women not to have difficulties in child bearing.
"They should get married as soon as practicable, it less dangerous if done early; it is a lot easier for a woman of 20, 22 to have baby; and it is safer compared to a woman of 35 or 38 to have baby for the first time."
The doctor advised that women with fibroid condition should patronised qualified gynaecologists, adding most deaths arising from fibroid operations were due to the activities of unqualified personnel.
Breast, cervical and uterine are among the three types of fibroid
Breast fibroids are called by several different names (mammary displasia, fibrocystic breast disease, benign breast disease and diffuse cystic mastopathy). They all basically mean the same: benign (non-cancerous) changes in breast tissue.
Also, cervical fibroids are known by that name, because they occur in such a limited space within the body.
Medical reports also showed that uterine fibroids were actually assigned one of three names (intramural, subserosal and submucosal), based on where they were located in the uterine area.
According to the report, If any of the three fibroids were attached to the uterus by a stalk-shaped stem, the term 'pedunculated' is added as a prefix to that uterine type name. (NAN)