“You are not meant to suffer in silence.”
For Moyo Awotile, those words come from personal experience. Her warning to women dealing with painful or unusually heavy periods is rooted in a decade long battle with uterine fibroids, a condition that gradually changed from a diagnosis she hardly worried about into a problem that affected almost every part of her daily life.
Awotile was diagnosed with fibroids in 2018 after she missed her period for a month and underwent an ultrasound scan. At the time, she did not consider the diagnosis serious.
“I didn’t take it seriously. I just kept living my life. And I noticed that over the years, my periods got progressively worse,” she said.
As time passed, the symptoms became harder to manage. She experienced persistent pain, heavy periods and cramps, while ordinary activities such as sitting at work, walking and travelling became increasingly difficult.
“I was in pain almost all the time. I could not sit down for long. Working in the office was a nightmare. I could not fly for long, and I could not walk for long. Everything was painful,” she recalled.
The condition eventually became so severe that one of the growths could be seen through her abdomen.
“One was protruding from my abdomen. I would lie down and look at my stomach and wonder what was happening because I had never seen anything like it before,” she said.
When Awotile eventually returned to Avon Medical Practice, doctors found that the condition had progressed considerably. Seventeen fibroids were eventually removed.
“The fibroids were massive. Seventeen fibroids were removed from my body. I was experiencing shooting pains in my legs in addition to the heavy periods and cramps,” she said.
Her experience highlights the human side of a condition that continues to affect many women in Nigeria.
Fibroids are non cancerous growths that develop in the muscle of the uterus. While some women may have small fibroids without experiencing any symptoms, others can develop severe problems when the growths become large, numerous or affect parts of the uterus.
Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, painful periods, pelvic pain and pressure, abdominal swelling, anaemia and fertility challenges are among the symptoms that can occur.
One major concern, however, is that some women become used to their symptoms and delay seeking medical attention.
A 2025 study involving 138 women receiving treatment at the University College Hospital in Ibadan found that 62.3 per cent sought medical care more than six months after their symptoms began. The researchers identified factors including limited knowledge, fear of surgery, treatment costs, cultural beliefs, neglect and lack of social support as some of the reasons for delayed presentation.
Awotile admitted that she initially viewed fibroids as something that was simply common among women.
“I knew from 2018 that I had fibroids. Because I was small and younger, I didn’t care. I thought everybody has it,” she said.
Her experience later changed that perspective.
“Having painful periods is not normal. Having excessively heavy periods is also not normal,” she said.
While painful periods do not automatically mean a woman has fibroids, persistent pain or unusually heavy bleeding that affects work, movement or everyday activities should not be ignored and deserves proper medical assessment.
It was against this backdrop that Avon Medical Practice documented Awotile’s experience in a documentary titled Overcoming Fibroids: A Journey of Care and Compassion.
The documentary focuses not only on the medical side of fibroids but also on what patients go through from diagnosis and treatment to recovery.
Avon Medical Practice, a Lagos based multispecialty healthcare provider, offers primary care, specialist consultations, diagnostic services, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, endoscopy, radiology, laboratory services and wellness screening.
Its women’s health services include obstetrics and gynaecology, while its wider specialist care covers areas such as cardiology, paediatrics, endocrinology, orthopaedics and physiotherapy.
The healthcare provider also offers pharmacy, laboratory and radiodiagnostic services, allowing patients to access different stages of care within the same healthcare system.
For conditions such as fibroids, this can be important because treatment often begins with a consultation and diagnostic tests before doctors determine the severity of the condition and the most suitable approach.
Treatment is not the same for every woman. Depending on the size and location of the fibroids, the severity of symptoms, age and plans for future pregnancy, a doctor may recommend monitoring, medication, minimally invasive procedures or surgery.
At Avon, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Akintomiwa Bankole, said Awotile’s pelvic ultrasound showed multiple fibroids located within the uterine muscle and beneath the lining of the uterus.
Awotile eventually underwent an open abdominal myomectomy, a surgical procedure used to remove fibroids while preserving the uterus.
The possibility of surgery can understandably raise concerns about future fertility, but Bankole said undergoing fibroid surgery does not automatically mean a woman will be unable to have children.
“Fibroid surgery does not automatically mean that a woman will be unable to get pregnant,” he said.
“We have managed patients who have gone on to conceive after fibroid surgery.”
He stressed the importance of assessing each patient individually before deciding on the appropriate treatment.
For Awotile, the care she received extended beyond the surgery itself. She said the attention she received after leaving the hospital made a strong impression on her.
“Nobody knew who I was, yet they were happy to take care of me,” she said.
“After my discharge, the aftercare has also been very good. I keep getting calls and check ups. I have come back a couple of times, and even though I have been discharged, they still check on me to find out how I am doing.”
That continued attention reflects the patient centred approach Avon says it aims to provide.
Beyond hospital treatment, the practice offers services including wellness screening, home nursing care and ambulance evacuation, alongside specialist clinics, diagnostics and surgical care.
For Avon Medical Practice Chief Executive Officer, Dr Akinbiyi Oke, documenting Awotile’s experience was part of a wider effort to show that fibroids should not be viewed simply as medical statistics.
“Fibroids are not just medical statistics. They are significant factors in the life of a woman, and this affects her quality of life and overall wellbeing,” Oke said.
“What we are about to watch is not Nollywood or Bollywood. It is a story about real people, real patients and real doctors.”
The documentary therefore brings attention to both the health challenges associated with fibroids and the importance of compassionate care throughout a patient’s journey.
Research has continued to highlight the burden of fibroids among African women, while studies have also pointed to gaps in reliable data on the condition across sub Saharan Africa.
For healthcare providers and patients alike, the challenge is not only ensuring that women have access to treatment but also helping them recognise symptoms early enough to seek appropriate care.
Awotile now says her life has changed significantly since her surgery.
“I do not even know when my period is coming anymore. Apart from the normal hormonal changes, there is no pain. It has been very good, and the surgical scar is almost gone,” she said.
Her advice to other women is straightforward.
“My advice is that women should not be scared. Go to the hospital and speak to your doctors. Go to the right doctor and get the right medical attention.”
For women living with fibroids, her story is a reminder that severe pain and unusually heavy bleeding should not simply be accepted as part of everyday life. Seeking medical attention early can make a difference, while proper treatment and continued support can help patients regain their quality of life.
