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Lupita Nyong’o is turning her pain into purpose.
When attending the 2014 Oscars, everything appeared to be magical for the Hollywood star as she accepted the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in 12 Years a Slave.
But more than a decade later, Nyong’o revealed that months after winning the coveted award, she discovered she had uterine fibroids.
“30 fibroids. I had surgery to remove them,” she shared via Instagram in July 2025. “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.’”
Although Nyong’o initially kept her diagnosis private, once she started speaking with other women about her experience, she realized she was not alone.
“We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us,” she said. “No more suffering in silence!”
Keep reading to learn more about Nyongo’s health journey and how she’s working to help other women in need:
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are common growths of the uterus that often appear during the years a woman is able to get pregnant and give birth, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Fibroids vary in number and size, but are not cancerous.
“They can range from the size of a pea to as large as a melon,” Nyong’o said. “They can cause heavy menstrual bleeding and anemia, pelvic pain, frequent urination and complications with pregnancy. Some have no symptoms at all, while others experience debilitating effects.”
How Many Women Suffer From Uterine Fibroids?
Many people who have uterine fibroids will not experience or properly identify any symptoms, the Mayo Clinic confirmed, making the health issue difficult to diagnose. Health care professionals sometimes find fibroids during a pelvic exam or a pregnancy ultrasound.
“Eight out of 10 Black women and 7 out of 10 white women will experience fibroids,” Nyong’o claimed via Instagram. “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. I started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this.”
What Does Lupita Nyong’o Envision for Future Care?
The Oscar winner hopes for a future where women have more education and resources when it comes to their health.
“We need to stop treating this massive issue like a series of unfortunate coincidences,” she said via Instagram. “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. Let’s study women’s health and prioritize this chronic condition that has never been comprehensively examined.”
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How Lupita Nyong’o Is Fighting for Change
In honor of Fibroid Awareness Month, Nyong’o announced in July 2025 that she will be working with various congresswomen and senators in Washington DC to introduce a package of uterine fibroid-related Congressional bills.
“These bills would expand research funding, increase early detection and interventions for uterine fibroids, study the causes of uterine cancer, and increase public awareness,” she shared via Instagram.
She’s also teaming up with the Foundation for Women’s Health to launch the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant, which will seek research proposals to develop minimally invasive or non-invasive treatments for uterine fibroids to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for patients around the world.
English (US) ·