Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o revealed a painful truth as she took powerful action. She suffered from uterine fibroids. In an Instagram carousel on July 15th, she wrote: “In March 2014, I won an Academy Award. That same year, I discovered I had uterine fibroids.” In the next slide, the 12 Years a Slave actress states she underwent surgery to have 30 benign growths removed.
Nyong’o used her post to share parts of her story, including a discussion with her doctor, in which she inquired about how to prevent the regrowth of her fibroids. Her inquiry was dismissed.
“She said, you can’t. It’s only a matter of time until they grow again.”
Nyong’o Realized She Wasn’t Alone
Statistically speaking, more Black women are suffering from fibroids than those without. According to the BMJ Journal, “Evidence from the USA indicates uterine fibroids are more prevalent in African American women, developing at an earlier age, with more frequent and debilitating symptoms, and higher rates of surgical intervention and postoperative complications.
“Data from the USA further shows that nearly 80% of Black women will develop fibroids by the age of 50, and when adjusted for factors including age, parity, age of pregnancies, Body Mass Index (BMI), and alcohol use, they are almost three times more likely than other racial groups to develop fibroids.”
Fibroids impact about 15 million women in the United States alone.
What Nyong’o didn’t like was that we are taught to normalize the pain from the moment that we hit puberty. But should we accept it? Because we do, when we start having fibroid pain, many of us silently accept that, too.
As she began talking to others privately, the actress realized she wasn’t alone. And we should no longer suffer in either.
Nyong’o is Teaming Up With Others to Take Action
Nyong’o isn’t speaking up only to share her story with others. She aims to effect changes both in the legislature and in the lives of individuals with fibroids through research. On July 15th, the actress visited Capitol Hill.
She joined Representative Shontel Brown, Representative Yvette Clarke, Senator Angela Alsobrooks, and Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman to discuss uterine health. Last year, Black Health Matters stood in solidarity with Representatives Brown and Clark as they introduced the U-Fight Bill.
The late Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones first introduced a bill in Congress to fund research on fibroids in 2001. Initially, she wanted it to direct money to the National Institutes of Health. Later, she drafted separate bills asking for a budget for fibroid research and education. Representative Brown, who now serves her constituents in Ohio, continues pushing. This year, Nyong’o joined them in their efforts to push for change.
Nyong’o is Partnering with the Foundation For Women’s Health to Raise Funds for Fibroid Research
The Black Panther actress was also on Capitol Hill discussing the launch of the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant with the Foundation for Women’s Health. She wants an inside-outside partnership between the public and private sectors. Fibroids cost the U.S. healthcare system approximately $6 billion annually.
When her grant is funded, Nyong’o aims to leverage the foundation’s expertise to evaluate proposals. She is seeking minimally invasive and non-invasive treatments for fibroids that offer symptom relief and enhance patients’ quality of life.
When she says ‘no more suffering in silence,’ Nyong’o hopes to make it less painful for the sisters who come after us.
Click here for more information on her grant.
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