During a candid conversation, Halle Berry recalled a painful sexual experience with a partner that led to a doctor’s misdiagnosis of the “worst case of herpes” he’d ever seen. But the 57-year-old Oscar-winning actress was ashamed to learn that her symptoms were perimenopausal.
On March 26, Halle took to Instagram to raise awareness of conversations about women’s health at Propper Daley’s “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation” summit. She attended the Los Angeles event and sat down with the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, to share her knowledge about menopause. The Hollywood veteran then took the discourse further with a personal testimony.
“Today I had the pleasure of being a part of a day of unreasonable conversation,’” Halle began her post. “It’s where producers, writers, show runners and studio heads hear folks talk about what’s important to them and relevant so that the powers that be can create film and TV that matter and that will resonate with audiences!”
During the discussion, the Cat Woman star recalled the time she felt like she had “razor blades” in her vagina after sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, Grammy-winning musician Van Hunt. MADAMENOIRE previously reported that the star-studded pair first cozied up to each another virtually and through long phone conversations during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.
Halle said she rushed to the gynecologist, and the doctor shocked her with his misdiagnosis.
“He said, ‘You have the worst case of herpes I’ve ever seen,’” Halle reminisced, People magazine reported. “I’m like, ‘Herpes? I don’t have herpes!’”
When Halle and her beau both tested negative for the sexually transmitted disease (STD), the mother of two realized that her painful symptoms coincided with those of perimenopause. Despite her healthy lifestyle, Berry shared that she was convinced she would skip this natural transition to menopause.
“My doctor had no knowledge and didn’t prepare me,” Halle explained at the summit. “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.’”
Research suggests that Black women may be more likely to be misdiagnosed when it comes to menopause.
According to a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Black women are likely to experience “healthcare disparities regarding menopause, potentially leading to underdiagnosis, undertreatment, and inadequate support.”
“Symptoms of menopause can sometimes be attributed to other conditions or dismissed as a normal part of aging, leading to delayed or incorrect diagnoses. This misdiagnosis can result in prolonged suffering and ineffective treatments,” Rankin reported.
In a 2023 MADAMENOIRE report, the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) found that Black women not only begin menopause earlier than white women, but they also experience more severe symptoms.
Halle Berry aims to break the stigma around menopause as the founder of rĕspin.
The Ohio native is currently leveraging her passion to share her experiences with menopause on her health and wellness platform rĕspin. Focusing on perimenopause and menopausal health, the digital community offers empowerment as well as engaging, energetic workouts.
“Of course, as @respin founder, I was talking about Menopause and was joined by @flotus, who is doing groundbreaking work for women’s health issues,” Halle continued on Instagram. So grateful to continue the conversation on a topic that is near and dear to my heart and one that affects half the entire population!”
Halle shares a 16-year-old daughter with ex-boyfriend Canadian fashion model Gabriel Aubry and a 10-year-old son with ex-husband Olivier Martinez.
