[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 135 (Thursday, July 30, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H3993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING UTERINE FIBROIDS AWARENESS MONTH

  (Ms. CLARKE of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
Uterine Fibroids Awareness Month.
  Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that affect an estimated 26 
million women between the ages of 15 and 50 in the United States.
  As vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a survivor of 
uterine fibroids myself, I know that increasing awareness about uterine 
fibroids is critical to our efforts to address the national maternity 
mortality crisis and prevent pregnancy-related deaths.
  While more than 80 percent of African Americans and 70 percent of 
Caucasians develop fibroids by the time they reach menopause, 
hospitalization rates for uterine fibroids are three times higher for 
African American women and twice as high for Latina women. However, the 
exact number of affected women is unknown because it is difficult for 
healthcare providers to detect and accurately diagnose this condition.
  This issue has not received the attention or funding it deserves. 
This is why I was proud to introduce H.R. 6383, the Uterine Fibroid 
Research and Education Act of 2020.
  This awareness month is an opportunity to cast the spotlight on the 
forgotten issue that impacts the lives of women of color.

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