Lupita Nyong’o is bringing awareness about fibroids among Black women by sharing her story.
The actress went on her Instagram to share her story dealing with fibroids as a way to talk about the issues surrounding the health condition.
“I’m speaking up about uterine fibroids. This is my story,” she wrote at the beginning of her caption. “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.
Nyong’o explained that she had her first encounter with fibroids in 2014. She went on to reveal that she has had 30 fibroids removed via surgery. Nyong’o then asked her doctor if there were preventative measures to stop the fibroids from growing back, but was told no and that “it’s only a matter of time until they grow again.”
The “Black Panther” star also revealed 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. Nyong’o story comes after Venus Williams shared her fibroid story, revealing that she suffered with painful periods, and how she was dismissed by doctors before undergoing a procedure to have them removed.
Nyong’o’s post continued, “When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman. So many women are going through this. We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us.”
Her goal is to get women to stop their suffering and to normalize the pain they feel that comes with 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.”
Lupita Nyong’o is currently an advocate for the Foundation for Women’s Health to help fund a research grant “to accelerate the development of non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.”