It’s easy to feel like celebrities are untouchable by things that plague us “normals.” I mean, with money and fame, what else is there to worry about? Well, not exactly. We forget that underneath the wealth and stardom are real human beings who deal with real human problems — human emotions, relationships, and health. One celebrity who has always been open and honest about their health battles is none other than the Selena Gomez.
Selena went public with her lupus diagnosis back in 2015, and we followed along as she dealt with chemotherapy, a kidney transplant, and the disease’s effects on her face and body. And while she’s been pretty forthcoming in the past decade about how lupus has changed her life, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, she opened up about a side of the disease she never had before — that it has affected her ability to have children.
“I haven’t ever said this, but I unfortunately can’t carry my own children. I have a lot of medical issues that would put my life and the baby’s in jeopardy,” she told Vanity Fair.” That was something I had to grieve for a while.”
How Does Lupus Affect Fertility?
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means the body basically decides to go rogue and attack its own tissues and organs. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it can affect everything from your skin to your kidneys to your joints. Now, sprinkle in some unpredictability since lupus can flare up at random, and you’ve got a condition that loves to keep you on your toes — or in bed for weeks.
When it comes to fertility, lupus can be a major wild card. One of the big challenges for women with lupus is that the disease can complicate pregnancy in ways that aren’t just inconvenient but straight-up dangerous. And it’s not just the disease itself, it’s the medications used to manage lupus that can also affect fertility.
A lot of the meds used to keep lupus in check are not exactly pregnancy-friendly. Immunosuppressants, which help control the body’s rogue attacks, can cause serious birth defects. Steroids, another popular treatment, might not directly affect your ability to get pregnant, but long-term use can mess with your body in other ways that make carrying a pregnancy harder. Selena mentioned in her interview with VF that she’s been on chemotherapy before (which is sometimes used for lupus), and chemo can seriously affect fertility by reducing the number of healthy eggs a woman has.
It’s like trying to balance keeping your own health intact while also thinking about how meds could harm a potential baby. Not to mention, lupus can cause inflammation and blood clotting issues, which aren’t exactly ideal conditions for a pregnancy.
Even if a woman with lupus is able to get pregnant, the journey doesn’t end there. Lupus pregnancies are considered high risk for a reason. The disease can lead to an increased risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and other complications. Lupus can cause issues with the placenta, making it harder for a fetus to get the nutrients it needs to grow. And if lupus causes blood clotting, that’s another layer of complication that can lead to miscarriage or problems later in pregnancy.
So, while it’s totally possible for women with lupus to get pregnant and have healthy babies, it’s not without its hurdles. Imagine running a marathon, but you’re also dodging obstacles and carrying a 50-pound backpack. Yeah, that’s pretty much what a lupus pregnancy is like.
Selena Gomez On Lupus and Fertility
The physical aspects of lupus are tough enough, but the emotional side of things? That can be brutal. As Selena shared, the reality of not being able to carry your own children can feel like a massive loss. Women with lupus often have to make incredibly difficult choices about their health and their fertility, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
It’s not just about managing symptoms or finding the right medication — it’s about grieving the idea of a “normal” pregnancy and coming to terms with a future that might look different than what you imagined. Selena’s openness about this grieving process sheds light on a struggle that so many women with lupus face but may not feel comfortable talking about.
While lupus can throw some major curveballs when it comes to fertility, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost. There are options, like surrogacy or adoption, and advancements in fertility treatments are giving more and more women with lupus the chance to have children. It’s all about working closely with doctors and finding the right balance between managing lupus and planning for a family.
“I’m in a much better place with that,” she told VF. “I find it a blessing that there are wonderful people willing to do surrogacy or adoption, which are both huge possibilities for me. It made me really thankful for the other outlets for people who are dying to be moms. I’m one of those people. I’m excited for what that journey will look like, but it’ll look a little different.”
