“I didn’t associate the fibroids with my symptoms. I had no idea that fibroids had symptoms,” says Venus Williams. “No one ever explained that to me, so I didn’t connect these issues to something that could be treated.”
Credit: NYU Langone Staff
Hours before she and her sister won their sixth Wimbledon doubles title in 2016, Venus Williams was lying on the floor of the locker room in intense pain.
“I was in so much pain, my sister took matters into her own hands and brought in a doctor to help me get off the floor. The doctor came in to give me some pain medication, and I was up on my feet again and able to hold up my side of the court,” she said. “But that was a turning point for me, when things started to get really bad.”
Williams knew she had fibroids, but she didn’t know they were the cause of her pelvic pain, fatigue, and heavy bleeding. For years, doctors assured her these were normal side effects of the menstrual cycle and that they would continue to monitor the fibroids, but the only way to treat them would be a hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus.
“I didn’t associate the fibroids with my symptoms. I had no idea that fibroids had symptoms,” Williams said. “No one ever explained that to me, so I didn’t connect these issues to something that could be treated. I didn’t know I was living with something out of the ordinary, and I think that’s a real problem.”
She started desperately searching for answers and eventually came across NYU Langone Health’s Center for Fibroid Care, part of the Mignone Women’s Health Collaborative, where she found a team that took her symptoms seriously. Under the care of Taraneh Shirazian, MD, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon and director of the center, Williams began a personalized treatment plan designed not only to treat her fibroids but also restore her quality of life.
Now, the tennis champion, entrepreneur, and best-selling author is channeling her experience into advocacy by raising awareness of uterine fibroids, helping more people recognize troublesome symptoms early and encouraging open conversations between women and their doctors so their health concerns will be heard.
“Venus’s journey is unfortunately all too common,” said Dr. Shirazian. “Even as someone with incredible resources and influence, she suffered in silence and was told her symptoms were just a normal part of being a woman. At the Center for Fibroid Care, we want women to know that their symptoms aren’t normal, and they have options.”
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that develop in or around the uterus. While they are incredibly common—affecting up to 80 percent of women by age 50—many women don’t recognize their symptoms or are unaware that treatment options exist. These growths can cause heavy and prolonged periods, chronic pelvic pain, frequent urination, and infertility. Black women are especially vulnerable, often developing fibroids earlier, with more severe symptoms, and facing greater barriers to diagnosis and treatment.
At the Center for Fibroid Care, patients have access to a multidisciplinary team that includes gynecologic surgeons, fertility experts, nutritionists, hematologists, and interventional radiologists. The center offers treatment plans that align with a patient’s individual goals, whether that’s preserving fertility, avoiding surgery, or simply living pain-free. Options may include medications, lifestyle changes, minimally invasive procedures, or surgery.
For Williams, finding the right care was a game changer. She has more energy and no longer suffers from pain and iron deficiency because of her fibroids. Now she is using her voice to make sure other women don’t wait as long as she did to get help.
“It’s so important to understand what a normal menstrual cycle should be—and if it’s not normal, to know that there are things you can do to address it,” she said. “For women who aren’t being heard, find a new doctor who listens. Everyone deserves to be heard and to receive the care they need. So keep searching for answers until you get them.”
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NYU Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked NYU Langone No. 1 out of 115 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation for three years in a row, and U.S. News & World Report recently placed nine of its clinical specialties among the top five in the nation. NYU Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across 7 inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 320 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida. With $14.2 billion in revenue this year, the system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.
