On 12th May, 2026, the FibroidsFREE team from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology hosted the event “Breaking the Silence About Uterine Fibroids: A Pathway to Legislative Change” at Homerton College, Cambridge with support from the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) and Hologic.
Uterine fibroids affect 70-80% of women by the time of menopause. This number increases to 80-90% in Black women, who also experience more severe burden of symptoms. Yet, the visibility of uterine fibroids at the individual, community, and national level remains inadequate.
The key themes explored at the event were:
- Patient awareness and empowerment: effective strategies for the UK context
- Transforming the culture in education and clinical practice
- Pathways to legislative change
A breadth of speakers contributed to the event, including Sateria Venable (CEO of Fibroid Foundation), Samira Rafaela (former Member of European Parliament), Professor Dame Lesley Regan (UK Women’s Health Ambassador), Professor Hilary Critchley (Professor of Reproductive Medicine and Honorary Consultant in Obs and Gynae), and Lord Simon Woolley (Principal of Homerton College and Member of the House of Lords).
Through impactful discussions, the event highlighted the courage and selflessness of patient advocates. Panelists also outlined actionable steps to bring fibroids into learning objectives for medical students and clinical trainees, along with including a question about menstruation in every patient history interview during clinical examination. It is clear that uterine fibroids must be a distinct priority in national and international initiatives.
This symposium was the exciting next step following an initial scoping event in November 2024 and congressional meetings in Washington, DC in July 2025, both supported by contributions from Cambridge Reproduction.
FibroidsFREE Team: Dr Priscilla Day-Walsh, Dr Francesca Gaccioli, Dr Dafina Angelova, Ms Jasmine Kiley, Ms Jemima Bittor, Dr Giulia Avellino
