Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o has bravely disclosed her long-standing struggle with painful uterine fibroids, including undergoing surgery to have 30 of them removed. This candid announcement, shared in an Instagram post on July 15, is not merely a celebrity disclosure but a catalyst for change, as Nyong'o simultaneously unveiled a significant new research grant aimed at revolutionizing treatment for this common yet debilitating condition.
Nyong'o, 42, first discovered she had uterine fibroids in 2014, a year marked by her momentous Oscar win for 12 Years a Slave. Fibroids, as explained by NYU Langone Health’s Center for Fibroid Care, are benign but often painful tumors that develop in the uterus, leading to debilitating symptoms such as "heavy and prolonged periods, pelvic pain, and bladder symptoms." Despite their widespread prevalence, especially among Black women, Nyong'o highlighted a glaring silence surrounding the condition. She wrote that when she asked her doctor about prevention, she was told "it’s only a matter of time until they grow again." As she 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.”
Through a poignant younger photograph, the Wild Robot voice actress captioned, “When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman.” This ingrained societal narrative, she revealed, often leads to women suffering in isolation. It was only when she began “talking about my experience privately” that she realized "so many women are going through this. We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us.”
Lupita Nyong'o’s call to action is clear and resonant: "No more suffering in silence! We need to stop treating this massive issue like a series of unfortunate coincidences. We must reject the normalization of female pain." Her vision for the future of women's health is comprehensive and proactive, encompassing "early education for teenagers, better screening protocols, robust prevention research, and less invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.” She concluded her powerful photo carousel by urging greater attention to women's health and prioritizing this chronic condition.
Nyong'o has since teamed up with the Foundation for Women’s Health (FWH) to launch the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant. This pivotal initiative is dedicated to developing "minimally invasive, or non-invasive treatments, for uterine fibroids" with the goal of significantly reducing symptoms and improving the quality of life for the estimated 15 million patients suffering from this chronic condition in the U.S. alone.
Further amplifying her efforts, Nyong'o joined Congresswomen and Senators on Capitol Hill on July 15 to advocate for new bills designed to fund critical research into uterine fibroids. Current treatment options, as explained by Johns Hopkins, primarily involve surgery (myomectomy or hysterectomy), freezing, electric currents, or medication, often being highly invasive.
“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,” Nyong'o passionately wrote. “We deserve better. It’s time to demand it. Silence serves no one!” Her courageous advocacy is a beacon of hope, pushing for a future where women's pain is acknowledged, researched, and effectively treated.
