Photo Credit: Lupita Nyong’o/Instagram
Lupita Nyong’o is getting real about something so many women quietly struggle with – uterine fibroids. In a emotional Instagram post shared today, July 15, the Oscar-winning actress revealed that she has been living with the condition for over a decade and underwent surgery to remove 30 fibroids back in 2014, the same year she won her Academy Award for “12 Years a Slave.”
“In March 2014, I won an Academy Award. That same year, I discovered that I had uterine fibroids,” she wrote. “30 fibroids. I had surgery to remove them. I asked my doctor if I could do anything to prevent them from recurring. She said: ‘You can’t. It’s only a matter of time until they grow again.’”
Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumours that develop in or around the uterus, often causing heavy periods, pelvic pain, and other debilitating symptoms. And they’re far more common than most people realise. As Lupita pointed out, “8 out of 10 Black women and 7 out of 10 white women will experience fibroids. Yet we speak so little of them.”
The “Black Panther” star shared that she once believed pain was simply part of being a woman. “When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman,” she wrote. But after opening up privately, she realised “so many women are going through this. We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us.”
Now, Lupita is determined to change that. “No more suffering in silence!” she declared. “We need to stop treating this massive issue like a series of unfortunate coincidences. We must reject the normalisation of female pain. I envision a future with early education for teenagers, better screening protocols, robust prevention research, and less invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.”
The 42-year-old actress has teamed up with the Foundation for Women’s Health to launch the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant, which will focus on developing minimally or non-invasive treatments for fibroids to help improve the quality of life for millions of women worldwide.
Lupita also took her advocacy to Capitol Hill, joining U.S. Congresswomen and Senators to introduce bills that will fund research, improve early detection, and raise public awareness of uterine fibroids.
Ending her post with a impactful message, Lupita wrote, “I hope my experience will resonate with anyone else who has ever felt dismissed, confused or alone. And I hope to seek answers for the far too many women dealing with uterine fibroids. We deserve better. It’s time to demand it. Silence serves no one!”
Her brave post has since received an outpouring of love from her colleagues, with Kerry Washington commenting, “Brava Lupita. This is so brave and so beautiful,” and Halle Berry adding, “This is such important info to share.”
