Lupita Nyong’o Details Health Diagnosis: ‘No More Suffering in Silence’

Lupita Nyong’o is opening up about her private battle with uterine fibroids.

In a Tuesday Instagram post marking Fibroid Awareness Month, the actress, 42, revealed that she underwent surgery to remove 30 non-cancerous tumors after she was diagnosed with the chronic health condition in 2014, the same year she won her first Oscar for her film debut in 12 Years a Slave.

“In March 2014, I won an Academy Award. That same year, I discovered I had uterine fibroids,” Nyong’o wrote. “30 fibroids. I had surgery to remove them. I asked my doctor if I could do anything to prevent them from recurring. She said: ‘You can’t. It’s only a matter of time until they grow again.’”

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Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths of the uterus that most often appear during the childbearing years, according to the Mayo Clinic. Ranging in size from being barely visible with the eyes to as large as a grapefruit, uterine fibroids can lead to debilitating symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding and painful periods, pelvic pressure or pain, and trouble urinating, among others.

In her post, Nyong’o highlighted the fact that “8 out of 10 Black women and 7 out of 10 white women will experience fibroids. Yet we speak so little of them.”

“When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman,” Nyong’o continued over a younger photo of herself. I started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this. We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us. No more suffering in silence!”

The Black Panther alum called on others 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.”

She concluded the post by urging others to “study women’s health and prioritize this chronic condition.”

The actress shared in the caption her hope that her “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.” She also revealed that she has joined several Democratic congresswomen in introducing “a package of uterine fibroid Congressional bills” that would “expand research funding, increase early detection and interventions for uterine fibroids, study the causes of uterine cancer, and increase public awareness.” Additionally, Nyong’o has partnered with the Foundation for Women’s Health to create the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant.