Venus Williams is unfortunately part of the thousands of Black women who have experienced neglect within the healthcare system. Recently, the tennis star opened up about the years of pain and grueling symptoms she experienced before doctors finally listened to her concerns.
In an interview with “Today,” Williams opened up about the crippling pain that would often leave her “laying on the floor in the locker room” before matches and “hugging the toilet,” during her menstrual cycle.
“It just got too bad, and I couldn’t handle it,” the seven-time tennis Grand Slam champion shared. “I’m sharing now because I was outraged that I didn’t know this was possible. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. No one should have to go through this.”
For years, Williams was led to believe that her symptoms were “normal” by doctors who never explained how large her fibroids were or the intense symptoms they caused, like pain, nausea, and persistent anemia from heavy periods, which led to repeated iron transfusions.
“I live with an autoimmune disease. So I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia or something like that. But really it was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids,” she said, referencing her Sjögren’s syndrome diagnosis, which causes fatigue and swollen joints.
“One doctor told me [when I was 37] … this is a part of aging. This is normal.” Another told her to get a hysterectomy. “I’ve never been so sad in my life,” she continued. “I had never been running to have kids but I always wanted to have a choice and to have that taken away is just frightening.”
With her symptoms ultimately impacting her ability to perform as an athlete, Williams explained how she “never had enough energy most times to play a real match the way [she] wanted to.”
It was not until she found NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care led by Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, that the tennis star found relief and learned that her fibroids were as big as oranges after undergoing surgery to remove them.
Fibroids are common noncancerous growths in and around the uterus that disproportionately impact Black women. The National Institute of Health reports that fibroids affect 80% of Black women before they turn 50, compared to 70% of white women in that demographic. And according to Williams’ doctor, Dr. Shirazian, women do not typically get the treatment they need.
“Women do not get the care that they need for fibroid disease. To me, that’s the part that we should all be thinking about. World-class athlete, superstar. Has access to every doctor, every facility, every option,” the physician explained. “Women know their bodies. They will tell you how they feel. They will explain their symptoms. Really all we [doctors] have to do is listen.”
“I’ve been taking this time to rest and recover and live my life and be, you know, a happy person without fibroids…Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, ‘I can get help. I don’t have to live this way,’” Williams concluded.
