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Summary
Lupita Nyong’o has revealed her battle with uterine fibroids, launching the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to advance research for early detection and non-invasive treatments.
In a bid to shed light on a prevalent yet often overlooked health issue, Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has publicly shared her battle with uterine fibroids. In a candid Instagram post dated July 15, 2025, Nyong’o revealed that she was diagnosed with the condition in 2014, the same year she won an Academy Award for her role in 12 Years a Slave. She underwent surgery to remove 30 fibroids and was told by her doctor that there was a possibility of recurrence.
“You can’t. It’s only a matter of time until they grow again.” Lupita shared, “Ten years later, I am facing the same battle, this time with twice as many fibroids. But something has changed: I’m no longer willing to suffer in silence.”
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that develop in or around the uterus, often leading to symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, and frequent urination. Despite affecting a significant portion of the female population , particularly “8 out of 10 Black women and 7 out of 10 white women will experience fibroids.”
Nyong’o emphasised this disparity, stating, “Yet we speak so little of them,” and the condition remains under-researched and under-discussed.
Reflecting on her experience, Nyong’o shared that she had been conditioned to accept pain as a regular part of womanhood. “When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman,” she wrote. However, upon opening up about her condition, she discovered that many women silently endured similar struggles, “When I began sharing my story privately, something extraordinary happened: I discovered that women everywhere — friends, colleagues, acquaintances, were fighting the same battle. We had all been struggling alone with something that affects most of us. We felt isolated and unique, yet we were part of a massive collective experience.”
This realisation propelled her to take action and bring about change. Nyong’o has partnered with the Foundation for Women’s Health to establish the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant. “This realisation was both heartbreaking and empowering. What if we stopped suffering in silence? What if we spoke up and shared our stories? What could we accomplish together?” she said. The initiative aims to accelerate the development of non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments for uterine fibroids, a condition that affects over 15 million women in the United States alone. The grant seeks to address the lack of effective treatment options and to improve the quality of life for women suffering from this chronic condition.
In her advocacy efforts, Nyong’o also joined U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support legislation to increase funding for uterine fibroid research and improve early detection methods. She emphasised the need to reject the normalisation of female pain and to prioritise women’s health.
Through her personal story and subsequent advocacy, Lupita Nyong’o is challenging the silence surrounding uterine fibroids. She is paving the way for a future where women’s health issues receive the attention and care they deserve.
