In March 2024, Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o was celebrating a major career milestone. Yet behind the red carpet smiles and accolades, she was quietly confronting a serious personal health challenge—uterine fibroids.

The condition, characterized by non-cancerous growths in or around the uterus, affects up to 80% of Black women. Though often benign, fibroids can lead to painful and debilitating symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia, frequent urination, and even complications during pregnancy.

Lupita first learned of her diagnosis earlier this year and underwent surgery to remove the fibroids. Like many, she hoped the ordeal would end there. However, doctors informed her that the growths could return—something many women face due to limited prevention options and lack of definitive treatments.

“What struck me most,” Lupita shared in a candid social media post, “was how little this condition is talked about, despite how many of us suffer from it.”

The actress reflected on how society has normalized menstrual pain as part of womanhood—an attitude that often silences and marginalizes those living with chronic gynecological issues. By opening up about her own journey, Lupita discovered a vast, quiet community of women enduring similar struggles.

Determined to spark change, Lupita is now using her platform to raise awareness and challenge societal perceptions of women’s pain. She advocates for early education, improved screening, increased funding for prevention research, and the development of less invasive treatments.

Her activism has already extended beyond social media. This year, Lupita joined lawmakers in Washington D.C. to support a new package of congressional bills focused on uterine fibroids. The legislative package aims to boost research funding, expand early detection programs, and investigate the root causes of uterine cancers.

In addition, Lupita is launching a Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to support innovative treatment research, with the goal of improving the lives of the estimated 15 million fibroid patients in the United States.

Through her courage and advocacy, Lupita Nyong’o is not just changing the narrative around fibroids—she is empowering women everywhere to speak out, seek support, and demand better healthcare.