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The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - New research offers hope for the first pill to treat a common problem in young women: fibroids in the uterus.
The benign growths can cause pain, heavy bleeding and fertility problems, and they are the leading cause of hysterectomies.
In two studies, a lower dose of a "morning after" contraceptive pill stopped the bleeding and shrank the fibroids. It worked as well as shots of a hormone-blocking drug that has unpleasant side effects.
Researchers in Brussels says the results are better than expected. Testing is under way on intermittent long-term use of the pill to see if that could help women avoid surgery.
The pill is called Esmya, and it is awaiting marketing approval in Europe. It's a low-dose version of an emergency birth control pill called ella that came on the market in the United States about a year ago.
The new fibroid pill still needs to be tested in the U.S. and won't be available anytime soon
The Associated Press