Halle Berry reveals she was scared she had 'herpes', but it was actually perimenopause
Halle Berry
Hollywood actor Halle Berry was recentlypart of an invite-only event which was produced in collaboration with Hollywood Reporter and an agency that aimed to connect TV writers, producers and executives with cultural changemakers. Halle was part of a star-studded group of speakers including Kerry Washington, Jane Fonda, Paris Hilton, Cord Jefferson and US First Lady Jill Biden.
In one session, Halle Berry joined the First Lady for a chat on women’s health, menopause and the way older women’s stories are told. This discussion came after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order focused on boosting women’s health research just last week.
What she thought was herpeswas actually perimenopause
Halle Berry has been outspoken about menopause awareness advocacy. Addressing the audience, she said that her aim is to “change the way women and men feel about women during their midlife and how they feel about this — which used to be a dirty little word — menopause, perimenopause, and we in this room have to change that… it can’t just be the doom and gloom story. This is a glorious time of life.”
She then spoke about finding out how she was in perimenopause. She said, “First of all, my ego told me that I was going to skip it — I’m very safe, I’m healthy, I managed to get myself off of insulin and manage my diabetes since I’m 20 years old.” But at 54, she “finally [met] the man of my dreams” referring to partner Van Hunt. She then teased the audience and explained about all the sex she has with him, to which Jill Biden joked, “I didn’t know she was going to tell this story. I’m not talking about mine!”
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At the time when she was going through perimenopause, Halle Berry recalled having extreme pain after sex and going to the doctor, who told her she had the worst case of herpes he’d ever seen.
Halle and her partner got tested and neither of them had herpes. “I realised after the fact that it is a symptom of perimenopause” due to dryness. She continued, “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.'”
