IN SHORT: A widely viewed reel on Facebook claims that drinking the dried seeds of the pawpaw fruit, also called papaya, can cure fibroids. But experts warn that such home remedies could be dangerous.
A reel circulating on Facebook in South Africa claims to have the solution for fibroids. It shows a man sitting at a table, cutting up a pawpaw, also known as papaya, and removing its seeds while giving instructions on how to prepare the remedy.
“Uma kuwukuthi unama fibroids noma uhlushwa isibeletho, thola upawpaw – bathi upapaya – uyawusika nje kanje, uwuhlukanise,” he explains in isiZulu.
“Lama-seeds uyawathatha uwomise. Lama-seeds, uwakhipha wonke… then, emveni kwalokho, uyawathatha, uyawa-dry-a elangeni. Uma esewomile elangeni, uzobe ke uyawathatha, uyawagaya – uwagaye abe impuphu. Uma eseyimpuphu, uzobe usuthatha lom’gubo noma lo-powder, uwufake emanzini afudumele and then bese ke ayawaphuza ke. Uwaphuze ekuseni: uphuze i-glass ekuseni, i-glass ntambama. Wonke lama fibroids akuphethe azophela,” he continues.
This roughly translates as: “If you have fibroids or you suffer from issues with your reproductive system, get a pawpaw, which is also called papaya, cut it up, and remove all the seeds. Dry the papaya seeds in the sun, grind them down into a powder, and then drink it with warm water in the mornings and evenings. Then, all of your fibroids will go away.”
At the time of publishing, the reel had 2,3 million views and over 30,000 reactions.
Similar claims about pawpaw being a cure for fibroids have been shared on Facebook here, here and here. But are they trustworthy?
What are fibroids?
While the reel’s title refers to ulcers, the content of the video discusses fibroids and “issues with the reproductive system”.
When muscles and fibrous tissues develop in and around the uterus, or womb, the non-cancerous growths they produce are called fibroids. Also known as connective tissue, fibrous tissue plays an important role by holding together parts of the body that need to remain connected, such as muscles and bones. This tissue also protects more sensitive body parts. For example, the protective outer layer of the human eye is protected by a type of fibrous tissue.
However, an overgrowth of fibrous tissue or its presence in the wrong part of the body can cause health complications. Fibroids in the uterus, for example, can lead to symptoms such as heavy or painful periods, abdominal pain, lower back pain, frequent urination, constipation, and discomfort during sex.
Prof Thabo Matsaseng is head of the clinical unit of reproductive medicine at the University of Stellenbosch’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He told Africa Check that the specific cause of fibroids remains unknown. However, fibroids “are hereditary, so most patients will inherit the condition” from their family line, he said.
According to a 2020 report by the sexual and reproductive healthcare service provider Marie Stopes, about 80% of women develop fibroids by the age of 50.
Treatments of fibroids
Matsaseng told Africa Check that the treatment of fibroids included giving patients medication, either in the form of hormones that suppress the amount of oestrogen in the body, non-hormonal forms such as pain medication, or tranexamic acid, which reduces the amount of bleeding.
Surgeries can be in the form of a myomectomy, the removal of fibroids, or a hysterectomy, removal of the uterus. “In the case of patients who decline hysterectomy or are medically not fit for surgery, they are offered uterine artery embolisation or myolysis,” he said.
Uterine artery embolisation cuts the blood supply to the fibroids, while myolysis uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to destroy fibroids. These are both minimally invasive procedures.
Do natural or alternative treatments work?
Matsaseng said that he did not know of any “natural” cures for fibroids, adding that focusing on home remedies might result in “delaying the diagnosis and the treatment”, which in turn could negatively impact the outcome of the patient's condition and overall quality of life.
Africa Check has debunked several so-called cures for fibroids. Experts have previously advised consulting a doctor before trying unverified remedies.
The nuances of traditional healing
The Facebook account that shared the video describes itself as a traditional healer. It has over 736,000 followers and often posts about natural remedies for various ailments.
Traditional healers and medicine have long been part of South African customs. But claims made on social media about traditional healing still require verification.
Zinathi Shasha, a traditional healer based in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, told Africa Check that spirituality was an important aspect of traditional healing. “There are general treatments we can share for small illnesses like flu, headaches, body pains, et cetera,” Shasha said, “but the general treatments will not always work, and then one-on-one, more in-depth consultations would be needed.”
Shasha added that the claim that pawpaw could be used to treat fibroids was “incredibly dangerous”.
As we state in our guide for evaluating health claims, we all need to embrace our inner sceptic. Regardless of the type of cure being offered, we must always be careful about what substances we ingest and how much of it we take.
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