Lupita Nyong'o makes fibroids visible

NAIROBI, Kenya (EFE) — Actress Lupita Nyong'o revealed yesterday that she has faced a battle with uterine fibroids for more than ten years, a condition she considered neglected in the medical and social spheres. Through her social media, she called for prioritizing women's health and promoting research in this field.

“I first discovered 30 uterine fibroids in 2014,” Nyong'o wrote about the year she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in “12 Years a Slave.” After having them removed, doctors informed her that the benign tumors would likely grow back.

General ailments

Uterine fibroids, also known as fibroids, affect between 70% and 80% of women between the ages of 35 and 54. Although in many cases they are asymptomatic, they can cause "abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, frequent urination, fatigue, and complications during pregnancy," according to the Foundation for Women's Health (FWH).

Nyong'o acknowledged that from a young age she was taught to minimize menstrual pain. “We're taught that menstruation means pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman,” she said.

“We need to stop treating this enormous problem as a series of unfortunate coincidences.”

The actress highlighted the need to improve education about women's health, facilitate early detection, and develop less invasive treatments.

To this end, she has partnered with the FWH to launch the FWH x Lupita Nyong'o Fellowship, focused on developing non-surgical therapies to treat uterine fibroids in the United States.

Nyong'o also announced her collaboration with U.S. legislators to introduce initiatives that seek to "expand research funding, increase early detection and intervention for uterine fibroids, study the causes of uterine cancer, and increase public awareness."

According to the FWH, fibroids appear at younger ages in Black women, where they grow more rapidly, cause more severe symptoms, and more frequently lead to hospitalizations and surgery.

"We must reject the normalization of female pain," the actress emphasized.

With this initiative, the actress hopes to promote policies that benefit millions of women. "I want to transform my personal experience into a tool for collective change."

At a glance

Silent disease

Despite their high prevalence, uterine fibroids are underestimated, leading to suffering and complications. Lupita Nyong'o's initiative calls for an end to ignoring this female condition.

Joint legislation

Lupita Nyong'o is collaborating with US legislators on bills seeking to increase funding, improve diagnosis, and raise public awareness about fibroids and uterine cancer. The proposal includes financial support.