Lupita Nyong’o reveals she has over 50 fibroids

Lupita Nyong’o revealed that her fibroids have returned

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, the 42-year-old actress appeared on the Today show and discussed her experience with fibroids, a painful condition where noncancerous growths form on the uterus and can lead to debilitating symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding, long periods, pelvic pain, frequent urination, constipation and back and leg pain.

Nyong’o first discovered she had uterine fibroids in 2014, the same year she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her debut film, 12 Years of Slave.

The first time I got the fibroids taken out, they took out 23,” she said on the morning show. “And this time, I’ve been informed two years ago that I have over 50.”

“And I’m being faced with the same options,” she added. “Surgery or live with the pain.”

The A Quiet Place: Day One star said she has not yet chosen to undergo the myomectomy, an operation to remove fibroids while preserving the uterus.

“I’m not ready to make that decision,” she shared. “It’s quite invasive… and it’s a big threat to our reproductive organs.”

Sitting alongside Katy Brodsky Falco, founder and executive director of the Foundation of Women’s Health, Nyong’o explained that she has the largest size of fibroids.

“When you have fibroids, doctors usually use fruit to explain to you what size your fibroids are,” she said. “So your fibroid could be the size of a grape. My biggest fibroid is the size of an orange.”

During her appearance, Nyong’o admitted that she initially felt alone in her fibroids experience.

“I felt shame. What did I do to cause them? And I felt very alone and quite scared for my reproductive health,” she said.

However, the Oscar winner said speaking out and connecting with other women going through the same thing

“I’m excited right now because speaking up has really empowered me,” she said. “I’ve found community. I’ve locked arms with women who have been fighting this fight for a long time.”

“There’s a lot of power in speaking up,” she added. “I spoke up and the amount of support I got hearing women say ‘me too’ and share their stories made me feel less alone and it’s honestly what has bolstered me to do the work that I do now.”

Nyong’o is currently advocating and raising money for scientists to figure out less invasive and non-invasive ways to treat fibroids.

“I think it’s high time we speak up to ensure that this is no longer trivialized and it’s no longer considered normal just because it’s common,” she said.