Black women have higher hysterectomy rates than white patients, especially in the South. I wanted to find out why.

For decades, doctors defaulted to hysterectomy to treat fibroid symptoms. That’s changing as patients push for more awareness and a wider range of treatment options.

Black women have high rates of fibroids – which are one of the leading causes of hysterectomies. Women in rural areas may have a harder time gaining access to alternative treatments such as uterine fibroid embolization that are available at large hospitals or specialty centers.