Actress Lupita Nyong’o is one of the latest celebrities to help spread awareness about fibroids, especially among Black women. The Black Panther star took to her Instagram to share her fibroids story and is taking action to help mitigate the issues surrounding the health condition.
“I’m speaking up about uterine fibroids. This is my story,” her caption began. “This Fibroid Awareness Month and beyond, 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 (80% of Black women and 70% of white women by age 50!). We deserve better. It’s time to demand it. Silence serves no one!” her caption continued.
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or on the uterus and that vary in size. Some symptoms of fibroids include heavy bleeding during periods, pelvic pain, lower back pain, frequent urination and pain during sex among others.
The 42-year old’s first encounter with uterine fibroids was in 2014, the same year she became a breakout star after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her debut film, 12 Years a Slave. In her Instagram post, Nyong’o revealed she had 30 fibroids removed through surgery. Post surgery, the actress asked her doctor whether there was any way to prevent them from growing back, to which she was told “it’s only a matter of time until they grow again.”
The actress also highlighted the disparity in fibroids between Black and white women.
“8 out of 10 Black women and 7 out of 10 white women will experience fibroids. Yet we speak so little of them,” her Instagram post read.
The Wild Robot voice over actress is one of the latest celebrities to open up about their battle with fibroids. Venus Williams also shared her story, which entailed painful periods, being dismissed by doctors, and a procedure to remove the fibroids. Like Williams, Nyong’o experienced painful periods, which she thought was normal.
“When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman.” The 42-year-old began sharing her struggles privately and found solidarity in the many women having a similar experience.
“So many women are going through this. We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us,” she wrote.
Nyong’o wants women to stop suffering in silence and normalizing the pain that comes from fibroids.
“We need to stop treating this massive issue like a series of unfortunate coincidences. We must reject the normalization 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,” her post read.
The actress concluded that her goal is to forward the mission of investing in research to find early detection, treatment and solutions. To do this, the artist teamed up with the Foundation for Women’s Health to fund a research grant “to accelerate the development of non-invasive and minimally-invasive treatments for uterine fibroids,” according to their website.
As an advocate, Nyong’o also partnered with Congresswomen and Senators on Capitol Hill on July 15 to introduce bills that would fund research on fibroids.