It is completely frustrating, but there is still much that is unknown about women’s health. Studies and tests are conducted on men and then applied to women. This clearly isn’t a good strategy. First lady Dr. Jill Biden is working to change this.
Actress Halle Berry joined her for "A Day of Unreasonable Conversation." This event was put on by Propper Daley in March 2024. It is so important to talk about women’s health.
As Mayo Clinic notes, perimenopause is defined as the time the body “makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.” The word literally means “around menopause.” It is also known as menopausal transition. The exact timing of this is different for each woman.
“First of all, my ego told me that I was going to skip [perimenopause],” Halle, 57, explained. “I'm in great shape. I'm healthy. I managed to get myself off of insulin and manage my diabetes since I'm 20 years old. So that makes one think, oh, I can handle menopause. I'm going to skip that whole thing. I was so uneducated about it at that time.”
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When Halle was 54, she met Grammy-winning musician Van Hunt. She calls him the “man of my dreams” and the pair started dating. One day Halle experienced extreme pain after intercourse, so she went to the doctor to get it checked out.
“I feel like I have razor blades in my vagina. I run to my gynecologist and I say, ‘Oh my God, what's happening?’ It was terrible,” Halle shared. She is being so open and honest in the hopes of helping others. She has “no shame” in telling her story.
“He said, ‘You have the worst case of herpes I've ever seen.’ I'm like, ‘Herpes? I don't have herpes,’” Halle continued. She spoke to Van about it. They both tested negative.
Thankfully, Halle was able to get to the bottom of it all. “I realize after the fact, that is a symptom of perimenopause,” she explained. “My doctor had no knowledge and didn't prepare me. That's when I knew, 'Oh my gosh, I've got to use my platform. I have to use all of who I am, and I have to start making a change and a difference for other women.'”
It is now Halle’s mission to change the negative narrative around menopause and perimenopause. She invited the audience to join her cause. “Help us change the way culture views women at this stage of our life,” she urged.
In August 2023, she spoke about this personal call to arms with Women’s Health. “I am challenging everything I thought I knew about menopause. Things like: ‘Your life is over.’ ‘You are disposable.’ ‘Society no longer has a place for you.’ ‘You should retire.’ ‘You should pack it up,’” she stated. We can't wait to see how she will continue to accomplish this goal.
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
