Uterine fibroids are common non-cancerous tumors that affect the majority of American women at some point in their lives. Fibroids may be painful and result in such reproductive problems as infertility, miscarriage, and early labor.
James Segars, M.D., Head, of the NICHD’s Unit on Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, explained results of the study, “The Estimated Annual Cost of Uterine Leiomyomata in the United States 
,” to members of the news media during a telephone briefing on December 20, 2011.
Briefly, fibroids are estimated to cost the United States $5.9 to $34.4 billion each year, in medical expenses and lost productivity.
An audio recording of the briefing is available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/Documents/fibroid_economics_nr122311.mp3 (MP3 - 1 MB) and the briefing transcript is available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/links/Pages/transcript122311_fibroideconomics.aspx
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About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.
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