In a recent conversation at Propper Daley’s “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation” summit, Halle Berry revealed a shocking discovery about her health journey. During a conversation with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, the actress spoke about her eye-opening perimenopause experience that proved how little awareness there is about women’s health.
The 57-year-old actress shared that she initially mistook her perimenopause symptoms for another. Her doctor’s misdiagnosis led her to realize she was in the transitional phase to menopause.
“First of all, my ego told me that I was going to skip [perimenopause],” Berry said. “I’m in great shape. I’m healthy. I managed to get myself off 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.”
Berry recounted a distressing incident when she experienced severe pain after intercourse, prompting her to seek immediate medical attention. Her doctor initially diagnosed her with herpes.
“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. He said, ‘You have the worst case of herpes I’ve ever seen.’ I’m like, ‘Herpes? I don’t have herpes!’”
Berry says she confronted her partner, musician Van Hunt, only to discover we they were both negative for the sexually transmitted infection.
“I realize after the fact, that is a symptom of perimenopause,” the actress said. She noted that dryness is a symptom of the transitional period. “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.”
Drawing from her experience, the star emphasized the importance of raising awareness and providing support for women navigating menopause. “I recognized the need to use my platform to advocate for change,” Berry expressed passionately. “Women deserve accurate information and support during this transitional phase.”
Noting throughout the discussion that she had “no shame,” she says talking about it will “help us change the way culture views women at this stage of our life.”
