Lupita Nyong’o Reveals Painful Journey With Uterine Fibroids, Calls for Awareness
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has broken her silence on a deeply personal health journey, revealing that she has spent the past decade battling uterine fibroids — a condition she says is far too common, yet dangerously under-discussed.
In a powerful and candid Instagram series posted during Fibroid Awareness Month, the Kenyan-Mexican star shared that she was first diagnosed in 2014, the same year she won global acclaim and an Academy Award for her performance in 12 Years a Slave.
“In March 2014, I won an Oscar. That same year, I learned I had 30 uterine fibroids. I had to undergo surgery to remove them,” Nyong’o revealed.
“When I asked my doctor if I could prevent them from returning, she said, ‘You can’t. It’s only a matter of time.’”
Uterine fibroids, or leiomyomas, are benign tumors that grow in or around the uterus. While they are non-cancerous, they can cause a range of debilitating symptoms — including heavy bleeding, chronic pain, infertility, and fatigue — and in some cases, no symptoms at all.
The 42-year-old emphasized how fibroids disproportionately affect Black women, with studies showing that up to 80% of Black women and 70% of white women will develop them by the age of 50.
“Yet we speak so little about them,” she said. “We’re told that menstrual pain is just part of being a woman. But that normalization hides serious suffering.”
As she began sharing her story privately, Nyong’o realized how many women — including close friends — were also suffering in silence. That experience became the catalyst for her public advocacy.
“I envision a future where girls are educated early, where screening is routine, research is well-funded, and treatments are less invasive,” she said.
“This isn’t just my story — it’s the reality of millions. No more dismissals. No more shame. No more silence.”
Taking her advocacy a step further, Nyong’o announced she has teamed up with U.S. lawmakers to back a new legislative effort aimed at tackling uterine fibroids head-on.
On Capitol Hill, she joined Congresswomen Shontel Brown, Yvette Clarke, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robin Kelly, and Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Laphonza Butler to introduce a congressional package of uterine fibroid bills.
“These bills would increase federal research funding, boost early detection efforts, support non-invasive treatments, and raise national awareness,” Nyong’o explained.
In tandem with the legislation, Nyong’o launched the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant in partnership with the Foundation for Women’s Health.
The initiative aims to support groundbreaking research focused on minimally invasive treatments and quality-of-life improvements for the estimated 15 million women affected in the U.S. alone.
