Dr. Frances Wurie
ON THE RECORD · 8 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“In rural areas where that’s the first point of call … somebody’s going give you some sort of concoction that you’re going to drink … If a patient is believing that the herbs are going to reduce the size of the fibroids, you’re basically just delaying whatever complication will come in the future,”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie described how patients in rural areas often turn to traditional healers who provide herbal concoctions instead of medical treatment.
“different age groups, [at] different periods in their lives, [who have fibroids of] different sizes.”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie said she regularly performs fibroid operations on women across different age groups and fibroid sizes.
“This should not be a taboo subject in this day and age, and for some reason it is, depending on where you are. It definitely can be something that people are like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to talk about it. What happens … in my private area, it’s private,’”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie said the stigma surrounding reproductive health can stop women from talking about the issue or getting help.
“These things start from adolescence, like having these young girls be aware of their bodies and how their bodies work and what can go wrong. And if you’ve established or you’ve created that kind of self-awareness at a young age, it’s easier for them to continue as young women,”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie emphasized the importance of teaching young girls about their bodies and creating self-awareness at a young age.
“nationally recognized program that goes around and discusses adolescent health or discusses any gynecological issues,”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie said there is no nationally recognized program in Sierra Leone that discusses adolescent health or gynecological issues.
“The first thing we talked to patients about in general is lifestyle. Whether you have diabetes, whether you have hypertension … even the cancers … the first thing is make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Watch what you eat, make sure you have some sort of… physical activities.”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie said lifestyle is the first thing she discusses with patients, emphasizing diet and physical activity.
“Every three months we gather up 25, 30 girls, and sometimes boys … and we talk about just reproductive health, sexual health, reproductive rights, and that is inclusive of … hygiene, menstruation, puberty, sexual violence and [the] parts of your body,”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie holds educational events every three months for young people covering reproductive health, sexual health, and reproductive rights.
“If they don’t have the funds to go and have an ultrasound scan, it would be undiagnosed.”
Dr. Frances Wurie · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-10
Wurie told CNN that many women in Africa remain undiagnosed because they lack access to medical care.