Porsha Williams is opening up about the emergency hysterectomy that permanently ended her ability to carry another child. The Porsha Williams Reveals Doctors Found 21 Fibroids, One The Size Of A Cantaloupe first appeared on The Blast

Porsha Williams is opening up about the emergency hysterectomy that permanently ended her ability to carry another child but dramatically improved her health. The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star revealed that doctors discovered 21 fibroids, including one the size of a cantaloupe, during the May procedure. Although Williams initially struggled with the loss of her uterus and fertility, she now believes the surgery “saved my life” and hopes her experience will encourage other women to advocate for their health.

Porsha Williams Discovered She Had More Than 15 Fibroids

Williams detailed her experience in a personal essay published by Glamour. The 45-year-old reality star said she visited a fertility specialist to discuss the possibility of freezing her eggs when doctors discovered more than 15 large fibroids in her uterus.

Williams was also diagnosed with endometriosis and another condition involving the uterine lining. The findings left the mother of one “stunned,” particularly when her doctor said that surgery was necessary.

Williams asked whether she could undergo another procedure instead of having her uterus removed. However, her doctor recommended a partial hysterectomy that would allow her to keep her ovaries.

The surgery was scheduled for the following week.

Doctors Found 21 Fibroids During The Surgery

Once the procedure began, doctors discovered that Williams had 21 fibroids in total. The largest was reportedly the size of a cantaloupe. Williams explained that the procedure immediately left her confronting the physical and emotional consequences of losing her uterus.

“I woke up after the surgery and thought, ‘A part of me is gone,’” the Bravo star wrote. “Fibroids aren’t something we usually talk about as women, and neither are hysterectomies. There’s a stigma to it, as if you’re somehow less of a woman without your uterus.”

According to the Office on Women’s Health, a hysterectomy is an operation to remove the uterus. Fibroids are noncancerous growths that can develop in or around the uterus and may cause pain, heavy bleeding, or other complications.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists identifies uterine fibroids as the most common reason for a hysterectomy. Endometriosis and abnormal uterine bleeding are among the other conditions that may lead doctors to recommend the procedure.

• Porsha Williams responded to backlash over her prenup ahead of the “RHOA” reunion.
• She reflected on her three-year “RHOA” absence ahead of the Season 17 reunion.
• Williams teased a “crazy” season of “RHUGT.”
• The reality star revealed the real reason she left “RHOA.”

The Reality Star Mourned The Loss Of Her Fertility

Williams shares her 7-year-old daughter, Pilar Jhena, with her former fiancé Dennis McKinley. Following the surgery, she began mourning the fact that she would never be able to carry another child.

“I was 45 and headed toward perimenopause, and I didn’t want anything throwing my hormones off,” she wrote. “On top of it all was the pain of knowing I’d never carry another child, and that I couldn’t even have eggs retrieved for a surrogate. That door had officially closed.”

A hysterectomy removes the possibility of carrying a pregnancy because the uterus is no longer present. Williams said her ovaries were preserved during the procedure, but she learned that retrieving her eggs for use with a surrogate was also no longer an option in her case.

Her grief was especially complicated because she had previously experienced pregnancy loss. Before welcoming Pilar in 2019, Williams revealed that she suffered a miscarriage approximately six years earlier.

Porsha Williams Says The Procedure Improved Her Quality Of Life

Although Williams said she “didn’t have a choice about the hysterectomy,” she has experienced significant health improvements since undergoing the operation. The television personality said she had not understood how many of her symptoms were connected to the fibroids.

“I hadn’t realized the fibroids were behind my migraines, my low iron levels, or how stressed my body had been just from everyday life,” she said. “I’d also lost my ability to have sex, since the fibroids had grown large enough to close off more than 60% of my birth canal, and put my bladder at risk from their sheer weight.”

Williams explained that the severity of her condition had been difficult to recognize because her body had gradually adapted to the fibroids. Her uterus is inverted, she said, meaning her stomach did not protrude in the way it can for some people with large fibroids. As a result, the extent of the growths was not immediately visible.

Black Women Face A Greater Risk From Fibroids

Williams’ experience also highlights a significant health disparity affecting Black women. Glamour cited the Black Women’s Health Imperative, which states that approximately 80% of Black women develop fibroids by age 50, compared with about 70% of white women. Black women are also reportedly two to three times more likely to undergo a hysterectomy because of fibroids.

Fibroids do not always cause noticeable symptoms or require treatment. However, the Office on Women’s Health notes that they can cause heavy or painful periods, pelvic pressure, frequent urination, lower back pain, and reproductive complications.

Williams said that greater awareness might have prompted her to ask about fibroids sooner.

Porsha Williams Urges Women To Advocate For Themselves

During a Friday interview with “CBS Mornings”, Williams explained why she decided to share such personal details about her health. “We have to stop diagnosing ourselves. There are so many different things when it comes to a woman that you need to get checked, and we need to learn to advocate for ourselves,” she told host Gayle King.

The “Traitors” alum said hearing another woman discuss the condition could have helped her identify the right questions to ask her own doctor. “If I saw somebody like me sitting here with you talking about fibroids, it would have clicked to ask for it. I had to ask my doctor to check for fibroids after something was wrong.”

Williams hopes that speaking publicly about her hysterectomy will help remove the stigma surrounding the procedure and encourage women to seek professional medical evaluations when something does not feel right.

Her Daughter Has Become An Even Greater Source Of Gratitude

Following the operation, Williams said she has become “more present and grateful” for Pilar. She described her daughter as “a true miracle” and reflected on how their bond has helped her process the permanent loss of her fertility. “I’ve always called her my lifesaver, since she gave me my purpose, and now that feels even more true. I really was chosen to be her mom.”

Williams split from McKinley in 2020 and married Simon Guobadia in 2022. Their divorce was finalized three years later. She has since been romantically linked to Patrice “Sway” McKinney, with whom she went Instagram official last year.

The Porsha Williams Reveals Doctors Found 21 Fibroids, One The Size Of A Cantaloupe first appeared on The Blast