DETERMINANTS OF UTERINE FIBROIDS AMONG MARRIED W OMEN AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH FAMILY PLANNING

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors of the uterine smooth muscle, called myometrium. They are a result of different factors, including obesity, age, early menarche, consumption of red meat, irregular menstrual cycle, use of oral contraceptives and also due to genetic predisposition. Among the family planning methods, the use of Birth control pills was thought to be a major risk factor for the development of fibroids. Objectives: To determine the risk factors of uterine fibroids among married women and its association with family planning. Study Design and Duration: A cross-sectional study was conducted during a period of 6 months from January 2016 to June 2016. Material and methods: A sample of 83 married women who were diagnosed of fibroids in the Outpatient Department (OPD) and Wards of Lady Wellington Hospital, Lahore were chosen by simple random sampling. Data was collected through a questionnaire after taking an informed consent. It was then compiled and analyzed through SPSS. Results: Our study population consisted of 83 females with most of them (62.7%) belonging to the area of Lahore. 38.6% of the women belonged to the age group of 41-50 years while 32.5% of them belonged to the age group of 31-40 years. About 43.4% of the women were educated up to the level of matriculation. Among the 83 respondents, 59.0% had an early menarche at the age of less than 13 years. About one half of the women (54.2%) suffered from irregular menstrual cycles and 57.8% of them complained about passing of clots during menstruation. Majority of the women with uterine fibroids had used birth control pills (57.8%) while 15.7% had used IUDs. Almost one half of them (49.4%) had undergone some treatment for infertility. Majority of the women (60.2%) had no experience regarding family planning. 94% of them had undergone Ultrasound test at least once in their life. 26.5% of the women had female relatives with diagnosed uterine fibroids. 21.7% of the total respondents consumed excessive red meat while 16.9% of them smoked hookah or cigarettes. Most of the women (58%) had a BMI greater than 28.6. Only 47% of the women said that they had an active lifestyle. Thus, Early menarche, use of birth control pills, irregular menstrual cycles, obesity, age, excessive red meat and genetic predisposition increases the risk for uterine fibroids. Also, an association was built between the use of birth control pills and development of fibroids. Keywords: Determinants, Fibroids, Association, Family planning.