Latest news with #womenshealth
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Lupita Nyong'o reveals uterine fibroids diagnosis and calls for change
Lupita Nyong'o has revealed her uterine fibroids diagnosis after "suffering in silence" for over a decade. The 42-year-old actress was diagnosed with the illness - which sees non-cancerous growths developing in or around the uterus - 11 years ago, and she has opened up in a bid to encourage more people to talk about women's health issues. She wrote on Instagram over a series of photos: "In March 2014, I won an Academy Award. That same year, I discovered I had uterine fibroids. 30 fibroids. "I had surgery to remove them. I asked my doctor if I could do anything to prevent them from recurring. "She said: 'You can't. It's only a matter of time until they grow again.' " She explained that uterine fibroids "can range from the size of a pea to as large as a melon", and "can cause heavy menstrual bleeding and anemia, pelvic pain, frequent urination, and complications with pregnancy". One of the slides on The Wild Robot star's post noted that while some women "have no symptoms at all", others will "experience debilitating effects". Lupita pointed out how people "speak so little" of the health issue, despite fibroids impacting 8 out of 10 Black women, and 7 out of 10 white women. She continued: "When we reach puberty, we're taught periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman. "I started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this. "We're struggling alone with something that affects us most. No more suffering in silence! We need to stop treating this massive issue like a series of unfortunate coincidences. "We must reject the normalization of female pain. "I envision a future with early education for teenagers, better screening protocols, robust prevention research, and less invasive treatment for uterine fibroids. "Let's study women's health and prioritize this chronic condition that has never been comprehensively examined." The A Quiet Place: Day One actress encouraged her fans to read the caption to the lengthy post, which explained more about Fibroid Awareness Month and revealed she has not only called members of Congress to table a "package of uterine fibroid Congressional bills", as well as teaming up with the Foundation For Women's Health to launch the FWH x Lupita Nyong'o Uterine Fibroid Research Grant. She wrote: "We deserve better. It's time to demand it. Silence serves no one!"
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lupita Nyong'o reveals uterine fibroid battle
Lupita Nyong'o has revealed she has spent more than a decade fighting uterine fibroids. The Oscar winner shared details of her longtime struggle with the chronic condition in a candid Instagram post and explained she learned of her diagnosis more than a decade ago. "In March 2014, I won an Academy Award. That same year, I discovered I had uterine fibroids," Lupita, 42, wrote on 15 July. "30 fibroids. I had surgery to remove them. I asked my doctor if I could do anything to prevent them from recurring. She said: 'You can't. It's only a matter of time until they grow again'." Lupita went on to explain that fibroids are "non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus" but that while they might be far from rare, with "8 out of 10 Black women" and "7 out of 10 white women" experiencing fibroids, they were infrequently discussed. "When we reach puberty, we're taught that periods mean pain, and that pain is simply part of being a woman," she wrote. "I started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this. We're struggling alone with something that affects most of us. No more suffering in silence!" To that end, Lupita explained, she had joined forces with a group of congresswomen with the aim of legislating funding for research, early detection and treatment.
ABC News
10 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Birth trauma connected to poor mental health outcomes
A new study by Birth Trauma Australia has found that women who struggled to get a diagnosis for their injuries were 2.4 times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at how better to support women experiencing birth trauma. Also in this edition, we look at a new study that has revealed a third of young workers are exploited, plus after the accidental Federal Treasury document revelation, that the 1.2 million homes target would not be met, what will it mean for tackling housing affordability. A warning: This story contains discussion of suicide. Lifeline 131 114
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Lupita Nyong'o advocates for uterine health legislation after revealing fibroids diagnosis
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is sharing her experience of being diagnosed with uterine fibroids, using the opportunity as a call to action on Capitol Hill. (Michael Tran/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is sharing about her experience of being diagnosed with uterine fibroids, using the opportunity as a call to action on Capitol Hill. Nyong'o wrote on her Instagram page Tuesday that in 2014, the same year that she won an Oscar for '12 Years a Slave,' she 'discovered' that she had 30 uterine fibroids and underwent surgery to remove them. 'I started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this,' she wrote. 'We're struggling alone with something that affects most of us. No more suffering in silence!' Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus, according to the Office of Women's Health. Symptoms can be severe and may include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods and stomach pain. According to a report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Black women are three times more likely to develop fibroids than white women. Nyong'o wrote in her post that in light of July being Fibroid Awareness Month, she wanted to share her experience, saying she hopes it will 'resonate with anyone else who has ever felt dismissed, confused or alone.' Also on Tuesday, the 'Quiet Place: Day One' star appeared on Capitol Hill with Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke to help introduce a legislative bill package that they hope will advance uterine health initiatives, according to a news release. The four bills they introduced 'would expand research funding, increase early detection and interventions for uterine fibroids, study the causes of uterine cancer, and increase public awareness,' Nyong'o wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. 'In 2014 at the age of 31, I received my uterine fibroid diagnosis and was offered only two options: invasive surgery to remove them or live with the pain,' she said in a statement. 'I envision a different future: one with early education for teenagers, better prevention and screening protocols, robust research, and less invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.' Nyong'o also announced that she is launching the FWH x Lupita Nyong'o Uterine Fibroid Grant in partnership with the Foundation for Women's Health. The grant will fund medical research of uterine fibroids, according to the foundation's official website. 'I hope to seek answers for the far too many women dealing with uterine fibroids,' Nyong'o said Tuesday. 'We must reject the normalization of female pain.'
CNN
11 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
Lupita Nyong'o advocates for uterine health legislation after revealing fibroids diagnosis
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is sharing about her experience of being diagnosed with uterine fibroids, using the opportunity as a call to action on Capitol Hill. Nyong'o wrote on her Instagram page Tuesday that in 2014, the same year that she won an Oscar for '12 Years a Slave,' she 'discovered' that she had 30 uterine fibroids and underwent surgery to remove them. 'I started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this,' she wrote. 'We're struggling alone with something that affects most of us. No more suffering in silence!' Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus, according to the Office of Women's Health. Symptoms can be severe and may include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods and stomach pain. According to a report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Black women are three times more likely to develop fibroids than white women. Nyong'o wrote in her post that in light of July being Fibroid Awareness Month, she wanted to share her experience, saying she hopes it will 'resonate with anyone else who has ever felt dismissed, confused or alone.' Also on Tuesday, the 'Quiet Place: Day One' star appeared on Capitol Hill with Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke to help introduce a legislative bill package that they hope will advance uterine health initiatives, according to a news release. The four bills they introduced 'would expand research funding, increase early detection and interventions for uterine fibroids, study the causes of uterine cancer, and increase public awareness,' Nyong'o wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. 'In 2014 at the age of 31, I received my uterine fibroid diagnosis and was offered only two options: invasive surgery to remove them or live with the pain,' she said in a statement. 'I envision a different future: one with early education for teenagers, better prevention and screening protocols, robust research, and less invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.' Nyong'o also announced that she is launching the FWH x Lupita Nyong'o Uterine Fibroid Grant in partnership with the Foundation for Women's Health. The grant will fund medical research of uterine fibroids, according to the foundation's official website. 'I hope to seek answers for the far too many women dealing with uterine fibroids,' Nyong'o said Tuesday. 'We must reject the normalization of female pain.'
