Lupita Nyong'o has courageously opened up the chambers of her heart, sharing her health journey with the world. The Oscar-winning actress, after silently enduring a decade-long ordeal, finally unveiled her arduous battle against uterine fibroids—noncancerous growths that develop within or around the uterus—in an Instagram post dated July 15th. "In March 2014, I was honored with an Oscar. That very year, I discovered I had uterine fibroids," Lupita began poignantly. "Thirty of them, to be exact. I underwent surgery to remove them. I asked my doctor if there was a way to prevent their recurrence. Her response: 'There is no cure. They will eventually grow back.'"
The 42-year-old actress revealed that it wasn't until she confidentially confided in her inner circle that she realized how widespread this condition truly is among women. "Entering puberty, we were taught that menstrual pain was our fate as women," Lupita poured out. "We grapple with this issue, affecting the majority of us, in isolation." She continued, "We must cease viewing this prevalent issue as a series of unfortunate coincidences. We must reject the normalization of women's pain."
In light of this, the "Black Panther" actress announced her collaboration with U.S. Congresswomen to introduce a suite of bills aimed at "expanding research funding, enhancing early detection and intervention for uterine fibroids, studying the causes of uterine cancer, and raising public awareness." "I envision a future where adolescents receive early education, better screening options are available, robust prevention research is conducted, and non-invasive treatments for uterine fibroids are developed," she penned. "Let us study women's health and prioritize this chronic condition that has never been fully researched." Lupita added, "We deserve better. It's time to fight for it. Silence benefits no one!"
According to the Mayo Clinic, while all women of reproductive age can develop uterine fibroids, Black women are "more likely to have fibroids than women of other racial groups." While many fibroids cause no symptoms, they can lead to complications such as heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, pelvic pressure, difficulty urinating, infertility, and miscarriage.
In the comments section of Lupita's post, an outpouring of support came from friends and peers. Kerry Washington wrote, "Lupita, this is incredible! So brave, so beautiful." "Sharing this information is so important," echoed Halle Berry, while Amber Ruffin added, "Next time I see you, I have a wild fibroid story to tell you!"
