Lupita Nyong’o reveals ‘massive’ health issue that doctor said she could do ‘nothing’ to prevent: ‘No more suffering in silence’

Oscar darling Lupita Nyong’o is stepping back into the spotlight — this time to highlight a condition so common yet so rarely discussed.

In a raw, powerful Instagram post on July 15, the actress, 42, revealed a battle she’s been quietly fighting for over a decade.

“In March 2014, I won an Academy Award,” she wrote, referring to her win for her supporting role in “12 Years a Slave.”

“That same year, I discovered I had uterine fibroids.”

Nyong’o went on to say she had up to 30 fibroids surgically removed.

She asked her doctor if there was anything she could do to prevent them from coming back.

“She said: ‘You can’t. It’s only a matter of time … until they grow back again,'” she wrote.

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow within or around the uterus — they range from pea- to melon-sized.

“We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us,” Nyong’o wrote.

“No more struggling in silence!”

Though benign, fibroids can have a major impact. They may lead to heavy, prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic and back pain, frequent urination, constipation, bloating and potential complications with fertility and pregnancy.

They’re also widespread: 8 in 10 black women and 7 in 10 white women experience fibroids by the age of 50.

“We need to stop treating this massive issue like a series of unfortunate coincidences,” Nyong’o declared.

“We must reject the normalization of female pain. I envision a future with early detectors for teenagers, better screening protocols, robust prevention research and less invasive treatment for uterine fibroids.”

What are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids, made of muscle and fibrous tissue, are extremely common — especially during reproductive years.

While they’re not cancerous, they can still cause significant symptoms and complications for many women.

There are four main types, depending on where they grow:

• Intramural: In the muscular wall of the uterus
• Subserosal: On the outside of the uterus
• Submucosal: Just under the lining of the uterus (can cause heavy bleeding)
• Pedunculated: Attached to the uterus by a stalk

Fibroids can be symptom-less or they can wreak havoc on a woman’s quality of life.

Symptoms may include:

• Heavy or prolonged periods
• Severe menstrual cramps
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Frequent urination or difficulty emptying bladder
• Constipation
• Back or leg pain
• Pain during sex
• Bloating or a feeling of fullness
• Enlarged abdomen or uterus
• Infertility or complications during pregnancy

Risk factors

Black women are two to three times more likely to develop fibroids and experience more severe symptoms. Most women are diagnosed between 30 and 50.

Having a mother or sister with fibroids increases your risk.

A diet heavy in red meat, obesity, earlier menstruation, vitamin D deficiency and no history of pregnancy puts you at greater risk.

Treatment options

Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms, the size/location of fibroids, the woman’s age and whether she wants to preserve fertility.

Non-surgical options:

• Watchful waiting: For small or asymptomatic fibroids
• Medications:
  • Hormonal birth control (pills, IUDs, shots): Helps with bleeding, not size
  • GnRH agonists (e.g. Lupron): Temporarily shrink fibroids by stopping estrogen production — can cause menopause-like side effects
  • Tranexamic acid: Reduces bleeding during periods
  • NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen): Manage pain, not fibroid size

Minimally-invasive procedures:

• Uterine artery embolization (UAE): Cuts off blood supply to fibroids to shrink them
• MRI-guided focused ultrasound (FUS): Uses high-intensity ultrasound waves to destroy fibroids
• Endometrial ablation: Destroys the lining of the uterus — not ideal for women who want to get pregnant
• Radiofrequency ablation: Uses heat via a small probe to shrink fibroids
• Myomectomy: Removes fibroids but preserves the uterus — ideal for women who want children. May be done laparoscopically, abdominally or hysteroscopically.
• Hysterectomy: Complete removal of the uterus — the only definitive cure for fibroids. May be recommended for severe symptoms or large fibroids in women who don’t want to get pregnant.

If you want to address your menstrual and hormonal health with traditional Chinese medicine, try a 15-minute virtual consultation with an acupuncturist and herbalist for Elix, a menstrual wellness brand.

Can fibroids come back?

Fibroids can recur after most treatments except hysterectomy.

Recurrence is especially common in younger women and those with several fibroids.