蜜芽传媒

When Oscar winning film star Lupita Nyong'o revealed on Instagram her decade long struggle with uterine fibroids it attracted almost a million likes. The post has sparked a global debate about a health problem that affects millions of women around the world but is rarely talked about.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in the uterus, the medical term for a woman鈥檚 womb. Symptoms can be severe and include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods and stomach pain.

Black and Asian women are more likely to be affected, and we bring together three women who share their experiences of living with the condition.

鈥淎 woman sitting across from you at work who鈥檚 smiling and having a conversation may be dying inside,鈥� Sateria tells us. 鈥淪he may be haemorrhaging, may be short of breath, may feel horrible and society has taught us that we should not reveal that agony.鈥�

Treatment options for fibroids are limited, and many women are advised to have surgery to remove their uterus 鈥� known as a hysterectomy. That means they will no longer be able to have children. We bring together three women to discuss the stigma they have experienced as a result.

Presenter: Iqra Farooq
蜜芽传媒 producers: Iqra Farooq, Laura Cress and Akwasi Sarpong
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team

(Photo: Ningrum, Ima and Wulan - three friends who support each other. Credit: Ima)