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A stage talk that moves the fibroid conversation from whispered to public. Expect real answers and real strategies from key voices in Black women's health — leading clinicians, advocates, and women living with fibroids who refuse to keep the conversation quiet.
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00:04Stage, Essence Main Stage!
00:13Yo!
00:16Y'all having a great time at Essence?
00:20I know it's a good one, right?
00:23I hope y'all got some good goodies out there and
00:28all the vendors and stuff.
00:30Y'all make sure y'all visit each and every one.
00:32But you're here with me now!
00:36So listen, it's time to take this conversation
00:43from a whisper to public.
00:46This next panel is presented by Always,
00:51and it brings real answers and real strategies
00:54from leading voices in black women's health.
01:00So we got your clinicians, we have advocates,
01:05and women living with fibroids who really usually stay quiet.
01:11I want you to please welcome to the Essence Main Stage,
01:18Soteria Venable, founder of the Fibroid Foundation,
01:22Dr. Veronica Gillespie.
01:25Yes!
01:27Dr. Veronica Gillespie, Gillespie Bell,
01:32board-certified OBGYN.
01:35Yes!
01:36We have Angel Beasley of CVS Health.
01:43We have Alexandra Spatholt of Always.
01:50And last, Sherris Chambers, the period doctor, y'all.
01:55Give it up for everybody.
01:59Hello, hello Essence.
02:01Essence.
02:02You all look beautiful out there.
02:04Can you give this incredible panel a round of applause?
02:10Welcome, welcome.
02:11I know we've done introductions, but I want to set the stage.
02:14We are talking about fibroids.
02:16We are talking about heavy bleeding.
02:19We are talking about periods.
02:21And periods belong at Essence Fest as well.
02:25Period.
02:26So we're going to get started, period.
02:28I'm going to start with Dr. Gillespie Bell.
02:32I respect you as a colleague.
02:35And I want to know from a medical perspective,
02:37how common is heavy menstrual bleeding truly?
02:41And what are some signs that many of the women in here miss?
02:46Thank you so much.
02:47Thank you all for being in my hometown of New Orleans.
02:50I'm so happy to see y'all here.
02:52So the first thing to know is that one in three women experience heavy menstrual bleeding.
02:58That means if you came with two girlfriends, one of y'all is having heavy bleeding,
03:02and you need to have a talk in the car when you're on the way home.
03:05But that is a very, very common thing we see.
03:09What I usually see women miss or ignore is they believe that if they can change their life around their
03:16period,
03:17that is okay.
03:18I want you to know that common is not normal.
03:22If you are having to bring a change of clothes with you,
03:26if you're having to miss work because your cycles are so painful,
03:29if you're having to wear a pad, a tampon, and putting some shorts underneath your skirt,
03:34that is not normal.
03:37Blood is life, and when you're losing it, you are losing your life.
03:41Wow.
03:42So I heard three important things.
03:44One in three women, just because it's common doesn't mean it's normal,
03:48and blood is life.
03:51Okay, I'm going to you, Alexandra.
03:53We talked about heavy flow, but I need you in your best wording to explain
03:59what does that really mean for someone who develops the product.
04:04It means so much.
04:06I have had such a privilege in my career to spend time with so many women on their couches,
04:13in their living rooms, at their kitchen table, on their patio.
04:17It doesn't matter where it is, but the conversations are so deep and so intimate.
04:21And what I often hear is just how impactful heavy bleeding is.
04:25Missing work due to the flow, due to the pain.
04:29Women who have like a bag that they stick on a chair because it's not okay to sit on their
04:34own furniture during their period.
04:35Wow.
04:36Furniture off limits.
04:37Yes.
04:37Women who even explain that they're so worried about their spouse rolling into a puddle of blood.
04:44Wow.
04:45That they can't even sleep together on their period.
04:47And this stuff is so impactful, but it's such an important conversation.
04:52It's not just about the product.
04:54It's really about breaking that stigma because that allows us to think about innovation that allows us to really normalize.
05:01So innovation that allows people to live their lives fully.
05:05I love that.
05:06Angel, I understand that CVS is a health destination, but why are you uniquely positioned to be a part of
05:14this conversation as it relates to heavy periods?
05:18Now that's a good question.
05:20Why is CVS uniquely positioned?
05:23I'm a merchant and merchants, we love data and we love information for our customers.
05:28So I'm going to start with a poll.
05:29Can you guys hear me good?
05:31Okay.
05:32How many of you live within 10 miles of a CVS?
05:38Okay.
05:39Our statistic says 90% of our customers live within 10 miles.
05:43That's why we're uniquely positioned.
05:45We are in your neighborhood.
05:47We, you come to us, you trust us at the pharmacy.
05:51And so what we've been doing for a very long time over the past couple of years, I have a
05:56great team who's out in the audience.
05:58Sasha and Shakayla, they have been working tirelessly to bring innovation that supports women, not just for heavy flow, but
06:07from your first period, all the way through menopause and beyond and everything in between.
06:13So bringing in a product like Always Heavy Flow was just second nature for us.
06:19It was the next step in supporting women along their journey.
06:23We've done things with women's health that's incredible.
06:26Lowering the pink tax for women.
06:28We've given over a million products, sanitary protection products to women, and we're educating them through our website.
06:36So all of this is just a natural flow for us because we want to show up for you, the
06:41customer, and meet you where you are.
06:43We want you to see yourself reflected in the aisle, and we do that with great innovation and product.
06:49So you're positioned within 10 miles of 90% of folks, and then you support from first period to menopause.
06:56Absolutely.
06:57Excellent. Excellent.
06:59Soteria, we did not forget about you.
07:01Now, you know better than anybody that fibroids are a significant health issue, particularly in the black community.
07:08So can you share first why it's so crucial to call out that disproportionate impact?
07:14And then second, what the Fibroid Foundation is doing to address it?
07:18Sure. So thank you all for being here. Did you know that up to 80% of women of African
07:25descent the world over have uterine fibroids?
07:29And in the United States, that translates into 26 million, million reproductive age women.
07:38And I didn't know that when I started the Fibroid Foundation after my third of four surgeries.
07:43I thought I was alone in my journey, and I really want you all to understand that you are not
07:49alone, just as Dr. Gillespie Bell said, one in three.
07:53So what the Fibroid Foundation is doing to address this gap is to reduce stigmas through educating our community, giving
08:02you handouts and lists to be able to take questions to your doctor.
08:07We advocate on Capitol Hill through congressional briefings and policy.
08:13We start research efforts, and we've written over 40 research papers.
08:18We're on the medical board exam in many states.
08:22And then lastly, we consult to pharmaceutical companies to make sure that the products that you interface with have a
08:30patient sensitivity built into them.
08:33So you are not alone if you are living with fibroids, and there is community that backs up their work
08:40with true action.
08:42That is excellent.
08:43Dr. Gillespie Bell, back to you.
08:45Following up on that, what are some key pieces of advice you give patients, especially black women, regarding fibroids as
08:53it relates to early detection and treatment?
08:58So the first thing I would say, and I think it needs to be said very loudly, is that a
09:04hysterectomy is not your only option for treatment for fibroids.
09:14If someone tells you it is, that is not the truth.
09:17So sorry.
09:17It is not true.
09:18And the data shows that for black women, we are less likely to be offered minimally invasive treatment options.
09:26We are pushed to surgery.
09:28And I find so many women coming into my office that have delayed care because they have been told or
09:34they think that a hysterectomy is the only option.
09:37That is not the case.
09:39We have medications that now are FDA approved for treating heavy menstrual bleeding associated with fibroids.
09:46We have uterine sparing procedures that can be done where you don't even have to go to the operating room,
09:53where you are back at work within a week or two of the procedure.
09:57And hysterectomy is a great option for some women, and that is a great route that can be done minimally
10:04invasive in a lot of cases.
10:06But that is the main thing I want women to know.
10:09Again, it takes three years, three doctors usually before women are diagnosed with fibroids.
10:15And then even after that, there is delay in treatment just because there is a lack of understanding that there
10:22are so many options available.
10:25And if you are going to a doctor that is not giving you those options, you need another doctor.
10:31Ooh.
10:32Wow.
10:32Period.
10:33Okay.
10:34Wow.
10:35Three years and three doctors on average to get diagnosed.
10:38So, yes, we have to advocate for ourselves in these situations and know our options.
10:44Thank you, Dr. Gillespie Bell.
10:46Alexandra, back to you.
10:48Looking at innovation, what are some of the exciting advancements or technologies that always is bringing that directly address the
10:56needs of those with heavy flow?
10:59As a scientist, as a product developer, I am really excited to share.
11:03You know, all those conversations I was talking about earlier led us to understand that there was a gap in
11:10what was needed and what was available in pads.
11:12Yes.
11:13So, we developed Always Maxi size 6.
11:15It was just launched this year.
11:17Wow.
11:18Hey.
11:19That's huge.
11:20That is huge.
11:22Congratulations.
11:23And it was built on a couple of things.
11:25First, obviously, it is more absorbent.
11:28It has more coverage, especially in the back.
11:31But it has a couple of other important features.
11:33So, one thing that we have not talked about today and somehow no one wants to talk about is clots.
11:39Blood clots.
11:40Y'all here?
11:42We had a woman explain to us one time she was in a gym class and a clot rolled off
11:46her pad and splat onto the floor.
11:48How embarrassing.
11:50So, we added leak guard cuffs, which actually help prevent clots from rolling off the side, can deal with heavy
11:55flow.
11:56But it's also important to have dignity.
11:58A pad should give you dignity.
12:00Yes.
12:00So, we made it beautiful.
12:01We made it feel nice.
12:04And so, if you think about what does that mean?
12:07When we brought the product back to the office for the first time, the first prototype we had, I remember
12:12showing some of my coworkers and they're like, oh, that seems a little too much.
12:17I said, if it's too much, it's probably not for you.
12:20Ooh.
12:21Ooh.
12:21Yes.
12:21So, we took it back to some of the women who had shared their stories with us.
12:26And I remember one of them telling me, you know, you made this for me.
12:30Wow.
12:31So, that's the power of conversation.
12:34And it's not just about innovation.
12:37It's about driving a bigger change.
12:39That is excellent.
12:40Excellent.
12:41So, it's not just about innovation.
12:43Yes.
12:43Clap it up.
12:44Yes.
12:45Innovation that centers dignity.
12:47That is huge.
12:48Thank you for the work you do, Alexandra.
12:51All right, Angel.
12:51How does CVS ensure that women struggling with heavy periods or fibroids can easily find trusted products and health resources
13:00on your shelves and online?
13:03So, that's a great question.
13:05We get to work with partners like Procter & Gamble to bring products to life on shelf.
13:11But we can't just sit them there and expect you to find it.
13:14So, the team works really hard to figure out ways to make it more accessible for our consumer.
13:21Products that range from period underwear to cups to liners, light bladder leakage.
13:27We've even launched a menopause section in our store.
13:31Wow.
13:31We're thinking outside the box.
13:34One fun product that we just brought in were emotional pickles.
13:38You can hold them and squeeze them for that mental health.
13:42So, it's not just about one section of the plantogram, but it's the full picture.
13:47Even taking the size six and larger heavy flow pads to the top of the shelf versus where it traditionally
13:54sits at the bottom.
13:55So, you can walk in, find what you need.
13:58But that doesn't just happen in the store.
14:00We're thinking about 360 how you shop.
14:04You don't just shop in store.
14:05You're online.
14:06You're on apps.
14:07And we're making it easy for you to search our items.
14:10You can get it delivered.
14:11You can pick up in store.
14:13There's just a wide range.
14:15And then taking it a step further and adding education to our website so you can find information about the
14:22needs that you have.
14:23It's really about showing up for the customer in the way she wants to shop in real moments every day.
14:28Wow.
14:29So, you get into the mind of your customer and make sure that their shopping experience supports their needs.
14:35Absolutely.
14:35That's excellent.
14:36Satiria, from your perspective, what is one key message you help women take away today about advocating for their health
14:44and finding solutions for heavy periods or fibroids?
14:48So, that's a great question.
14:50How many of you have been sitting in a meeting having unbearable cramping and just smiled through the meeting at
14:57work or thought that you had to sit there and just deal with it?
15:00Okay.
15:01So, suffering and the stigma that you must sustain suffering is what we want to overcome.
15:08Yes.
15:09So, we are here for you through our chapters, through this wonderful partnership with Always Brand to de-stigmatize heavy
15:18menstrual bleeding and to make it okay for you to speak up for what you need to have a better
15:24quality of life.
15:25Because you should be revered for everything you carry personally and throughout the community instead of stigmatized for that.
15:34Wow.
15:36Clap it up.
15:37I just want to say I saw some hands rise where you said you've been bleeding in meetings and just
15:42pushing through.
15:43And I want to hold space for you because we are going to continue this conversation at the Always booth
15:49in Talking Circles.
15:50And so, if this speaks to you uniquely, those hands that raise, meet us at the Always booth and let
15:56us know you want to continue the conversation.
15:59I'll be over there and I'll be happy to talk with you along with some of our panelists.
16:03Now, final thought, this is for each one of you and so we can start on this end and end
16:09with Alex if that's okay.
16:10What is one actionable step every woman in this audience can take to better understand her personal flow and overall
16:20well-being?
16:22So, I would say log your symptoms because you're the expert in your body.
16:30Yes.
16:30And the ideal scenario is for you to bring what you know about your body to your provider and then
16:37they provide their expertise and you collaborate to find a unique solution that works for you.
16:43It's called shared decision making.
16:45Wow.
16:46Log your symptoms and be the expert in your body.
16:50Excellent.
16:51Dr. Gillespie Bell.
16:52So, a lot of times when I am giving lectures or I'm talking at conferences, I always end with this.
17:00You need a test by Tuesday.
17:02So, what is the one thing that you can do by Tuesday to help another woman?
17:08Who is that one person in your circle that you can tell the information that you have learned today?
17:15Again, one in three women have heavy menstrual bleeding.
17:19So, someone that you know is not here today and not hearing this conversation.
17:23So, my challenge is to, by Tuesday, find one woman that you can share this information with.
17:29Wow.
17:30Text by Tuesday.
17:31Share this information with someone in your life.
17:34One in three women are going to have heavy bleeding.
17:36So, someone in your circle needs this education.
17:40Angel?
17:41I love that advice and I'm going to take it a step further and make it about product.
17:47Test product.
17:48Try different things.
17:50Look at the vitamins that you need to be taking on a daily basis.
17:54And once you find the thing that works for you, share it with your friend.
17:58Share it on Instagram or TikTok so other people can know your journey.
18:03But then get inspired by what you're doing and what you figured out.
18:07You are your own expert.
18:09Yes.
18:09So, share your knowledge.
18:10Share your knowledge.
18:12This is Instagram, TikTok.
18:13There are some influencers in this space and all of you have influence in your community.
18:18Share the knowledge.
18:19Excellent, Angel.
18:20And then Alex?
18:21So, you said you're your own expert.
18:23You are also your own advocate.
18:26Yes.
18:27So, if there's one thing that I think is really important to learn is that it's okay to talk about
18:33periods.
18:33And it's more than okay.
18:35It may lead to the right diagnosis.
18:37It may lead to you finding the right product.
18:39It's going to lead to a conversation that's going to make change.
18:43So, learn.
18:43It's okay to talk about periods.
18:45And I'm going to add to this just in my work as a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist.
18:51Don't leave the next generation behind.
18:55Everything that you worked to learn about your body.
18:57Everything you did to advocate for yourself.
19:00Pass it on.
19:01So, the next group of girls.
19:02Your daughters.
19:03Your nieces.
19:04Do not have to fight the same fight that we had to.
19:07Raise an applause for this incredible dynamic panel.
19:11Thank you so much.
19:12And meet us at the Always booth to continue the conversation.
19:21Introducing Always Maxi size 6.
19:23Our most absorbent maxi pad.
19:25It absorbs 75% more versus Always Maxi size 2.
19:30And it features leak guards for clock control.
19:32Try Always Maxi size 6.
19:34Available at CVS.
19:36Don't mess.
19:36Don't mess uplink for hours.
19:36You can mind.
19:37So, before testing yourself, I set up and connect the phone again.
19:39It helps some Alliance and Hypercombe comes over 48.
19:39You can здесь and push the phone again and finish up and connect to the phone right.
19:39I will close my phone eventually.
19:39Now let's call 10 completeuluartz.
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