ABC News anchor Linsey Davis is speaking openly about a personal health battle that resonates with millions of women, especially Black women, across the country.
The 47-year-old journalist revealed in People and in a special ABC segment that she will undergo a hysterectomy on Aug. 15 after enduring a years-long struggle with uterine fibroids, a condition that affects more than 80% of Black women by age 50.
“I suffered in silence,” Davis shared, recounting years of debilitating symptoms: heavy bleeding, severe bloating, and pain so intense her menstrual cycles could last two weeks.
First diagnosed 13 years ago, she underwent a myomectomy in 2020 to remove six fibroids, but by last year, doctors discovered 13 new growths.
A turning point came earlier this year when bloating during her Oscars pre-show coverage sparked public pregnancy speculation.
“It was such an embarrassing moment,” she said. “But it is a pouch, you know, that happens.”
Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that disproportionately impact Black women — a disparity linked to possible genetic factors, vitamin D deficiencies, and unequal access to quality healthcare. While treatment options exist, research shows many Black women face hysterectomy as a first-line solution.
Davis’s openness comes at a time when other prominent Black women are also breaking the silence around their reproductive health challenges.
Actress Lupita Nyong’o has previously spoken about her struggles with similar issues, underscoring the urgent need for awareness, research, and support.
For Davis, sharing her experience is about ending the stigma:
“If I had known earlier what I was dealing with and known other people’s stories, I wouldn’t have felt like I was suffering silently.”
