Twelve years ago, Lupita Nyong'o was told she had tumors growing inside her uterus; the smallest the size of blueberries, the largest as big as an orange.
Doctors called them fibroids, benign growths that develop in and around the uterus. They also told her they were “common.” But for Lupita, common did not make it acceptable.
After more than a decade of enduring the physical and emotional toll in silence, the Oscar-winning actress went public with her diagnosis last July.
The response was immediate and overwhelming. Women from across the globe shared their own stories of painful periods, heavy bleeding, surgeries, fertility struggles and years of being told their pain was normal.
That wave of solidarity strengthened her resolve to push for change.
“There’s something deeply wrong when a condition this widespread is this poorly understood. Do you accept this as the status quo? Neither do I. So today, I’m announcing a way for us to be part of the solution together: #MakeFibroidsCount,” she says.
Now, Lupita has launched #MakeFibroidsCount, a global campaign aimed at funding research and challenging the normalization of women’s suffering.
“I’ve partnered with @foundationwomenshealth to launch a research grant funding scientists who are developing less-invasive treatments for #fibroids. This Black History Month (Feb) and Women’s History Month (Mar), I invite you to join this global call to action,” she posted on her socials.
In partnership with the Foundation for Women's Health, she is supporting a research grant dedicated to scientists developing less-invasive treatments for fibroids.
The campaign, highlighted during Black History Month and Women’s History Month, calls on people to donate toward fibroid research, start personal fundraisers through GoFundMe, and share their stories publicly.
Participants are encouraged to post images of fruit — symbolizing the invisible burden many women carry — and tag the hashtag to spark conversation and solidarity.
Fibroids disproportionately affect Black women, who often experience more severe symptoms at younger ages. Yet despite how widespread the condition is, research funding and public awareness remain limited. Pain is frequently dismissed. Symptoms are minimized. Silence becomes the norm.