It Figures is Yahoo Life’s captivating series that delves into the body image journeys of influential figures as they uncover the meanings of body confidence, body neutrality, and self-love.
Marsai Martin, now 19, has already navigated a transformative journey when it comes to her body and the significance of women’s health.
As an actress, Martin’s intimate connection with her body began at the age of 11 when she got her first period, an occurrence she excitedly shared with her Black-ish castmates. “We were so close, and when you grow up in a space like that, all you want to do is be able to open up and connect and talk with other Black women about different experiences that they’ve had and what to look for,” she tells Yahoo Life. “I had no idea what a period even meant, but I knew I got one.”
Her feelings shifted, however, when her periods became excruciatingly painful. She was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst at 14 but chose not to publicly disclose it until four years later in 2022. Martin reflects on the courage it took to seek out a diagnosis. “I was so nervous about even knowing what was going on with my body,” she says. “I was in a space where I didn’t know if I wanted to know that information because of conversations that I had in the past.”
She was made aware that reproductive health is, especially for Black women, a “sensitive topic,” given the higher maternal mortality rates and risk of dying from cervical cancer compared to white women. This reality made it difficult for her to address her own experience out of fear of what it might mean.
“These conversations should be nothing to be ashamed of and it shouldn’t hold you back from getting the information and the details that you need to move forward with your body,” she says in hindsight. “Pain is not normal, you know. And that’s something that I thought was normal for such a long time.”
It took four years for Martin to undergo the necessary surgery to remove the cyst and ultimately relieve the pain. She acknowledges that this time “shaped me in a lot of ways.” Martin reflects on the “ongoing pain” she experienced with her monthly period and the overwhelming anxiety leading up to the surgery, all while balancing a booming career and trying to navigate normal teenage life.
Coming out of the experience, Martin realized there was nothing to be afraid of. More importantly, she learned to “speak up and use my voice” when it comes to conversations about her own body. “You learn so much about your body the more you grow up,” she says. “But this is a time where there’s a lot of hormonal changes to where you are just trying to understand and navigate what your body is telling you.”
She emphasizes that this learning curve includes the reality of changes to the appearance of her body, although she notes that it hasn’t been her primary focus. “I was a part of a set for eight years that showed nothing but love and support and no negative energy involving the physical presence of our bodies,” she says of growing up on Black-ish.
The community of Black women that Martin cultivated on the show is something she’s been grateful to have as she continues to evolve. She’s even partnered with Tampax to empower women with medically accurate period education through the A Better Way to Period campaign.
“I know my space and I know my voice in this world. So to be able to be a leading person for other Black women that are going through the same thing and sharing experiences [with reproductive health] is something that is even grander in my book,” says Martin.
