CNN
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\n Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong\u2019o is sharing about her experience of being diagnosed with uterine fibroids<\/a>, using the opportunity as a call to action on Capitol Hill.\n <\/p>\n \n Nyong\u2019o wrote<\/a> on her Instagram page Tuesday that in 2014, the same year that she won an Oscar for \u201c12 Years a Slave,\u201d she \u201cdiscovered\u201d that she had 30 uterine fibroids and underwent surgery to remove them.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI started talking about my experience privately, and I realized so many women are going through this,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWe\u2019re struggling alone with something that affects most of us. No more suffering in silence!\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus, according to the Office of Women\u2019s Health<\/a>. Symptoms can be severe and may include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods and stomach pain.\n <\/p>\n \n According to a report<\/a> by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Black women are three times more likely to develop fibroids than white women.\n <\/p>\n \n Nyong\u2019o wrote in her post that in light of July being Fibroid Awareness Month, she wanted to share her experience, saying she hopes it will \u201cresonate with anyone else who has ever felt dismissed, confused or alone.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Also on Tuesday, the \u201cQuiet Place: Day One\u201d 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.<\/a>\n <\/p>\n \n The four bills they introduced \u201cwould expand research funding, increase early detection and interventions for uterine fibroids, study the causes of uterine cancer, and increase public awareness,\u201d Nyong\u2019o wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIn 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,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cI envision a different future: one with early education for teenagers, better prevention and screening protocols, robust research, and less invasive treatments for uterine fibroids.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Nyong\u2019o also announced that she is launching the FWH x Lupita Nyong\u2019o Uterine Fibroid Grant in partnership with the Foundation for Women\u2019s Health. The grant will fund medical research of uterine fibroids, according to the foundation\u2019s official website.<\/a>\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI hope to seek answers for the far too many women dealing with uterine fibroids,\u201d Nyong\u2019o said Tuesday. \u201cWe must reject the normalization of female pain.\u201d\n <\/p>\n