Lupita Nyong’o shares emotional post about decade-long battle with uterine fibroids on her birthday

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Lupita Nyong’o shared a heartfelt essay about her experience with uterine fibroids, publishing it on her 43rd birthday this past Sunday.

The Oscar-winning actress shared on Instagram that she was feeling thoughtful as she marked another year of her life.

Lupita Nyong’o openly shared an update about her health with her 11.3 million followers, posting a picture of her MRI scan to help illustrate what she was explaining.

The actress, known for her role in ’12 Years a Slave,’ revealed she’s lived with 77 uterine fibroids throughout her life. She’s had 25 removed with surgery, and currently has over 50 still growing, with the largest being about the size of an orange.

The A Quiet Place: Day One star said her story wasn’t rare – but ‘just a rarely told one.’

Nyong’o revealed she’s experienced long periods of severe pain, heavy blood loss each month, and kept her struggles private.

Uterine fibroids are common, noncancerous growths that develop in or on the uterus, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Many fibroids don’t cause any noticeable problems, but when they do, common symptoms include heavy periods, back pain, needing to urinate often, and pain during sexual activity.

The actress, who is of Kenyan and Mexican descent, shared photos of herself holding a fruit basket, explaining it symbolized her fibroids.

This picture shows me holding 77 fruits, representing each of my fibroids. It’s meant to illustrate the burden that I, and many other women, live with daily.

Nyong’o explained that when she shared her health struggles publicly in 2025, she was deeply moved by the outpouring of support – many women contacted her with similar experiences.

Nyong’o explained that the overwhelming response she received motivated her to partner with the Foundation for Women’s Health to raise money for more fibroid research.

Honestly, I’m so passionate about this, I just had to do something! That’s why I started #MakeFibroidsCount and the website, MakeFibroidsCount.org – I’m trying to raise as much money and awareness as possible for fibroid research. It’s something I really believe in!

She shared that her birthday wish is for a world where all women have access to proper treatment and support for fibroids. Achieving this requires more research, and that research needs financial backing.

Lupita Nyong’o, after receiving a diagnosis of the condition earlier in 2024, asked her fans to consider donating to support related causes.

She asked, “Could you give a gift that really makes a difference?” Every donation supports research with the potential to improve or even save a woman’s life – perhaps someone close to you.

Nyong’o ended in saying, ‘Thank you for celebrating with me in the most meaningful way possible.’

Lupita Nyong’o shared on Wednesday’s Today Show that she feels a sense of strength and confidence as she works to educate people about uterine fibroids.

Nyong’o shared that she’s found a supportive community and is working alongside women who have long been advocates for this cause.

With our ‘Make Fibroids Count’ campaign, we’re raising funds and, importantly, including the women most impacted by fibroids in the search for solutions they deserve.

She finished by saying that sharing personal experiences is the key to bringing this issue into the spotlight and ensuring it’s addressed directly, rather than ignored.

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2026-03-02 03:05