Academy Award–winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is opening up about a deeply personal health battle, revealing that uterine fibroids she first had removed more than a decade ago have returned — this time in far greater numbers.
Nyong’o said doctors recently discovered more than 50 fibroids, years after she underwent surgery in 2014 to remove dozens of the noncancerous growths.
The condition, which can cause severe pain, heavy bleeding, and fatigue, has prompted her to launch a new advocacy campaign aimed at improving awareness and treatment options for women.
The actress announced the #MakeFibroidsCount initiative to challenge what she calls the long-standing “normalization of female pain.” Through the campaign, she is urging increased research funding and broader access to minimally invasive treatments.
“They taught me that once my period started, I should expect to be in pain every month,” Nyong’o said, reflecting on how early health education shaped her understanding of her symptoms. “I didn’t understand my body. I didn’t know what was going on, and I didn’t know to be worried.”
Her condition was first diagnosed during a routine gynecological visit after she repeatedly raised concerns about persistent pelvic pain and heavy bleeding. Doctors discovered multiple fibroids and presented her with limited options: live with the symptoms or undergo surgery. She chose a myomectomy to remove them.
But years later, the fibroids returned. Nyong’o described learning about the recurrence as devastating.
“When I found out they were back — back with a vengeance — I felt powerless,” she said. “They’re going haywire in my body, and nobody knows what to do to mitigate them.”
Uterine fibroids are extremely common, affecting a large percentage of people with uteruses, with Black women disproportionately impacted, according to medical experts. Despite their prevalence, researchers still do not fully understand what causes them or how to prevent them.
To address the gap, Nyong’o has partnered with the Foundation for Women’s Health to support new research into non-invasive treatments. The collaboration includes a grant program aimed at advancing alternatives to repeated surgeries or hysterectomies, which remain among the most common interventions.
Advocates say the initiative highlights broader inequities in women’s healthcare, particularly conditions historically dismissed or under-researched. Nyong’o emphasized that common conditions should not be automatically accepted as normal.
“If they’re this common, that doesn’t make it normal,” she said. “Silence can no longer be the status quo.”
The actress also noted that sharing her experience has connected her with countless women facing similar challenges.
“I was stunned by how many people said, ‘I have them too,’” she said. “Something I felt alone in was happening all around me.”
Through her campaign, Nyong’o hopes to encourage women to advocate for themselves and push for systemic changes in healthcare research and treatment.
