Lupita Nyong'o breaks silence on painful condition affecting millions

Lupita Nyong’o broke her silence over battle with fibroids while she also takes actions to help others.

The Oscar winning actress took to her Instagram account on Tuesday, July 15, to reveal that she underwent surgery in 2014 for the removal of 30 uterine fibroids.

Expressing her concern over the painful condition, the 12 Years a Slave star noted that her doctor told her when she asked if they could be prevented.

“It’s only a matter of time until they grow again.”

“8 out of 10 Black women and 7 out of 10 white women will experience fibroids. Yet we speak so little of them,” Lupita shared.

“When we reach puberty, we’re taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman," she continued, adding that raising her voice about her silent experience made her realize “so many women are going through this.”

The Wild Robot actress concluded her post by stating, "No more suffering in silence! We must reject the normalization of female pain.”

Moreover, Lupita announced the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to support better treatments as she hopes for “early education, better screening, robust prevention research, and less invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.”

And she also joined Congresswomen and Senators on Capitol Hill to introduce bills that would fund research on the condition.

According to nhs.uk’s website, “Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb (uterus). The growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, and vary in size.”