Lupita & Mandy Making Health Talk Feel Normal

I caught a feature on Lupita Nyong’o and Mandy Moore talking about women’s health research, and I felt both inspired and oddly comforted. Inspired because they’re using their visibility to highlight gaps in research that affect women every day. Comforted because, honestly, they’re just like us: navigating health struggles, advocating for their families, and figuring it out as they go.

Lupita shared her experience with fibroids, a painful condition where noncancerous growths form on the uterus. Symptoms like heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, and back discomfort can be debilitating. “I was so stunned by how little my doctor could tell me about this condition,” she said. “I felt so helpless… I felt very isolated in my condition.” That frustration lit a fire: normalizing women’s pain is unacceptable, and she’s determined to advocate so future generations don’t face the same casual ignorance.

Meanwhile, Mandy — our A Walk to Remember girl-next-door turned This Is Us mom — opened up about her fertility journey, including a misdiagnosis of endometriosis, and being told something was “wrong” with her reproductive health. Raising her children amplified her drive: “Since becoming a mother, it’s so much easier to advocate on behalf of myself and my children and the future generations,” she explained. “It's such a no-brainer to be able to use this crazy platform that a job I love has sort of given me."

It’s wild to think women weren’t included in clinical research until 1993, and today only 8% of research funding goes to women’s health, despite women making up 51% of the population. Even as stars, Lupita and Mandy are showing us that visibility, advocacy, and courage can turn personal struggle into progress, and that women’s health deserves attention every day, not just when it’s trending.

Ask Clara: What is the gender research gap?

photo source: ABC News