Last week, the results of a long term follow up study on hormone therapy replacement for women in menopause was released, bringing into question decades of generally accepted knowledge about HRT. This was partially in response to a study published 20 years ago, The Women’s Health Initiative, which found that women taking HRT had an “increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, pulmonary embolism and breast cancer.” The findings of the new study suggest that hormone replacement therapy for women under 60 is a relatively safe short-term treatment for symptoms like hot flashes. The original study was misinterpreted and lead to a massive decrease in HRT prescriptions, which no doubt caused needless suffering. I recently read a thoughtful take on this in the book Outlive: The Science of Art and Longevity.
There’s a true need for increased awareness about and understanding of menopause. Halle Berry, 57, has hilariously and bravely opened up about her menopause journey. In a panel with Dr. Jill Biden in late March she told a story about experiencing painful vaginal lacerations from sex and being misdiagnosed as having herpes. Halle more recently lobbied on Capitol Hill for the passage of a new bill that will provide $275 million in federal funding for menopause studies and education. I’m excerpting part of ABC News’ writeup about this and have added a partial transcript of what Halle said. A clip of her speech is also below.
Actress Halle Berry was joined by a group of bipartisan senators on Capitol Hill Thursday to push for legislation that would put $275 million towards research and education around menopause.
The legislation calls for the federal government to spend more on clinical trials on menopause as well as the hormone therapy that is used to treat hot flashes and other symptoms.
Berry, 57, shouted about her own menopausal status outside the Capitol Thursday.
Under a legislative proposal advocated for by Berry and introduced by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, $125 million of federal funding would be set aside for clinical trials, public health, and medical research on menopause.
The remaining money would help support menopause detection and diagnosis, train doctors on treating menopause and raise public awareness around it.
I was at the doctor three days ago… and I said to him ‘you know why I’m having this issue right?’
He says ‘yes, I know… you tell me why you’re having this issue…’
We went back and forth ‘you tell me.’
I finally realized, he wasn’t going to say it, so I thought I have to do what no man can do, I have to say it.
I said ‘I’m in menopause! OK? And that’s why I’m having this issue.’
‘Oh my God, I could never say that to you. Look at you don’t look like you’re in menopause, and if I said that to all of my female clients, they’d punch me.’
Again, I knew, that is why I’m here doing this work, because it has to be destigmatized. The shame has to be taken out of menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens. Our doctors can’t even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey of what our menopausal years look like, or our years after that. When I have these moments, real moments that happen to me, I know that every other woman around this country are having these real moments as well. They’re lost, they’re afraid, they don’t have direction and they need help. That’s why I’m here.. as a woman who is demanding that our government give us what we need. We deserve it. We have been overlooked, we have been discarded for too long.
[From ABC News and via Twitter video]
Preach, Halle Berry! Halle has made headlines saying she’s in menopause, and her doctor still couldn’t say it to her! She’s also incredibly privileged and lives in a major metropolitan area, yet she ended up with a doctor who didn’t want to offend her by saying she was in menopause. I bet that’s the same douche who told her she had herpes. I hope Halle fired that doctor!
I sometimes think about the fact that Halle is a type 1 diabetic, that she eats cleanly and works out with a personal trainer. Have you seen her Instagram videos? This woman is a f’ing action star in top physical condition. No one is immune to this. She’s being honest and really loud about the fact that menopause affects all of us and I respect the hell out of her for it.
I’m 51, I haven’t had a period in two months and the anxiety and depression is worse than I anticipated. Halle’s stories have been sadly relatable to me. When celebrity women talk about it, when they advocate for us, it really helps. Also, $275 million is a drop in the bucket to the US government. This bill better pass!
I said what I said š https://t.co/l4ddUMIyCt
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) May 7, 2024
She and I share a birthday š„³.. so at 57 I have been on hrt, which is expensive and 100% out of pocket, for two years now. I can honestly say without it I wouldnāt be here today. Menopause is hell, and treatment should be a covered medical expense for all insurances.
I didn’t do HRT but need vaginal estrogen in order to even be able to have a PAP smear. It isn’t covered by insurance and is more than $550 a tube! Insane.
The little blue pill they love to cover. Medications for women beyond a certain age, nope.
OriginalMich that’s insane! Apparently my insurance covers it because I pay $30 a tube and even then I was kind of miffed, since our normal copays are less than $5.
Mine covers it too and luckily it is only $20/tube for me.
Have you tried costplusdrugs? I believe they carry it for cost
Here to say if a man was going through andropause and needed meds to deal, theyād be 100% free and given out like candy. Yeah, Iām a little bitter š
Totally agree, I was researching women’s testosterone recently and how its levels drop down for menopause too and would you guess, a million articles about andropause!!
I’m in perimenopause but my Dr has even refused to diagnose it, said he’s waiting for full menopause, I’m furious… I’ve been left in hell dealing with massive weight gain, severe insomnia, anxiety, depression, swing moods and apparently osteoporosis creeping up.
I started HRT in December and it has been a life saver. My doctor told me it was a no brainer for me because HRT helps with osteoporosis which I’m at higher risk for than cancer or heart issues. I cannot believe how much it helped my symptoms which were emotional. I feel like myself again.
We are finally moving towards medical equality. The only reason why menopause is laughed at and disregarded by most of the medical community is because of the insidious misogyny built into our society and our institutions. We are no longer useful as women so no one cares anymore. Think that’s harsh? Well they certainly care and make judgments and laws when we are still baby making age. Thank god things have begun to change. More women in office and more women doctors.
Maybe there is some merit in that, because its similar to infertility at “baby makign age”: I am told to wait until I want a child to just jump to fertility treatments, instead of being properly treated for my intefrtility.
I mean, its not jus tabout being able to conceive- it is about ALLLLLL the effects of the hormones on my body and what happens to your body when they are our of whack, that is at stake here.
But yeah, THAT DOESNT MATTER.
Our health and our hormones just dont matter at all- period.
As a woman of 53 , going thru perimenopause I realised that as a females it is not just menopause that is not discussed , itās the complete lifecycle of our reproductive parts . I learnt from girlfriends and female magazine about periods and then sex . During pregnancy I would get off the cuff comments about cravings etc .
I think there should be a book , class and on going lectures that gives us the complete picture from puberty to post menopause.
Discuss it get it out in the open, we are modern make it less taboo. I think as a society we can handle it .
It should be compulsory for males as well .
Itās just an idea , is it needed, would it work ?
I must note I live in Australia, I might be misinformed does this already exist in other countries.?
Excellent comment @K plus middle aged women are the complete backbone of society and we vote. Kudos to Halle for being there for us.
I have a female doctor and when she told me I was in menopause she said she would not be giving me the hormone therapy because of the side effects and she said suck it up and get through it which is exactly what I did. I have seen a new drug for hot flashes that are not containing hormones but all it does is maybe lessen the amount of hot flashes.
Sounds like you need a new doctor, f$%# her for that bullshit.
Nope I like her because she tells it like it is. I didnāt have any trouble going through menopause without the hormone therapy.
Sounds like she tells it like she sees it, rather.
100%. All those going through so much more than hot flashes agree. Had to see my friend try to unalive herself because of menopausal depression and anxiety after having been told to āsuck it upā for a year- HRT gave her her normal life and positivity back. I truly learned from that. It can destroy marriages and be soul crushing, not just hot flashes. Try working a 10 hr day with menopausal CFS. Treatment has vastly improved in the past years and it is obvious not all doctors are aware. My motherās HRT was totally different 20 yrs ago- no estrogen gels etc. there, so different risks.
āOur doctors can’t even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey.ā
Truer wordsā¦
I call BS: any doctor who canāt say the word āmenopauseā to you is not worth his license. Having said that, I will add that women doctors are generally better, so, for goodness ās sake, get yourself a female doc.
Also: can we please stop extolling the virtues of ācleanā eating? Eating dirt is good for you.
I’ve had women MDs who’ve said unimaginably stupid and/or potentially damaging things to me — three off the top of my head and one is my current gynecologist. The process to switch is a nightmare especially if the doctor is, like my current gynecologist, great in other aspects of giving care.
Medicine in general discounts what women say about our bodies and that study Kaiser mentioned that stopped HRT almost immediately in the States has implications that affect innumerable women here. But, I sympathize with doctors, too, because they are so swamped, when would they have time to keep up with the latest studies? So that money from Congress could go a LONG way to improving our situation.
Finally, I think we all know that “clean” eating means following a diet that limits ingestion of highly processed foods, pesticides, meat/dairy from animals raised on hormones, and perhaps even GMOs. For a Type 1 diabetic like Halle, that likely also means close attention to anything that
You can find doctors, of any persuasion, who will say stupid things. This is why I qualified my comment with āgenerallyā. But large studies show: women outperform men, as physicians.
I hear you, about the difficulty of changing doctors. Iām a doc, as well as a patient. Continuity of care is important. As with everything else, thereās a trade-off.
I know what āclean eatingā refers to. Itās become a buzzword for the goop set. Iām saying we should stop using the psychologically-loaded term, not least because ādirtyā eating is actually better for us.
Obviously, you’ve never met a jerk Dr. I’ve met plenty. As for women Drs., I’ve had my worst experience with the woman OBGYN who was subbing for my male OBGYN when he went on vacation. I was pregnant with my last child and she kept hectoring about getting fat ( I gained 5lbs in one month because I was FINALLY able to eat without getting sick), told me not to let my mat leave start three weeks prior to due date because all I was going to do was sit around and get fat. Then she thought it was okay to badger me about breastfeeding. It was the first and only time I ever laid eyes on the woman and she was rude AF. It’s all case by case.
Iāve met many jerk doctors, both as colleagues and as my health care providers. The world is rotten with them. Your individual (anecdotal) experience is unfortunate and, unfortunately, not uncommon, but it doesnāt change the larger landscape: women generally provide better care; and they do so, in important ways. This is why I said āgenerallyā.
I highly recommend genetic testing on this topic. I’ve done the Ancestry test some years ago bc of health problems I couldn’t put my finger on. You take the raw data from Ancestry and upload it to providers like MTHFR Genetics UK or Nutrahacker or Genetic Gene or Livewello. They then will you give a report and evaluate that raw data. And this has been a life saver for me right now bc it showed that I am incredibly bad at detoxifing estrogen and now in premenopause with very low progesterone (that’s how it starts) my estrogen is as high as like being pregnant in third trimester which caused gallstones in my liver even after gallbladder surgery. It’s been a nightmare to find doctors to stick with me through this and help me to get better. My GP never heard of these tests before I came along and showed it to him. Every doctor was like “you need to do more sport and eat better”. I walk 3 hours per day and am already eating healthily.
There are many polymorphisms that have an huge influence on how your hormones work for you. If your body can’t detox them properly or something else is not working it’s going to cause huge issues in your late 40ies, early 50ies.
And I am soo frustrated that there are tests out there to determine the causes plaguing us women but you have to pay them by yourself, there are hardly doctors taking us seriously and no one seems to care.
This really needs to change and I applaud Halle Berry for being loud about it.
UK citizen here too, I’ve been researching all the possible genetic tests, the lowest price was 399 pounds for a mid comprehensive. Then, like it happened to you, it is likely that my GP would ignore it anyway as they’ve ignored the most recent one….
If you’re in the UK you can do the Nutrigenomics test complete via MTHFR Genetics UK. Just google them. It’s 150 bucks for their test, the report is 50 pages and it’s pretty comprehensible, even if you don’t have any idea about genes. They also offer extra counselling.
Thank you for mentioning this, I’ll see my surgeon (I had an histerectomy 3 weeks ago) on Tuesday, and I’ll ask her what she thinks, and if she can prescribe me these tests.
I am 55 and in/past menopause. I go through an online company and have estrogen patches (that I change twice a week) and progesterone pills that I take once a day because I still have a uterus. I get a three month supply of patches, progesterone pills and a probiotic/prebiotic pill that I take two a day, it costs about $335 for the three month supply. It has made a huge difference and comes in the mail.
Which online company? I have a telehealth appt with Midi later this week, but was also looking at MyAlloy.
MyAlloy is the company I use, I have been very happy with them!
I’m in perimenopause right now and my young male doctor recommended HRT when black kohosh stopped working for hot flashes. I was worried at 1st because my mom is a 3-time breast cancer survivor, plus I have materal and paternal aunts who died from breat and ovarian cancer (I tested BRAC negative, which shocked the hell out of me, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if I get diagnosed with cancer in my lifetime). He told me that recent studies showed the risk was minimal even to people like me, and it’s made a world of difference.
If I were looking for a new doctor, I would ask them to tell me the most recent findings on HRT, and ask what they thought about the research. If they couldn’t answer that, or evaded the question, or mansplained or talked over me, that would be my test. A doctor who won’t listen to you is a doctor who will be no help to you at all, and could be a danger to you. My doctor is of an age that I could have taught him high school English 15 years ago, and he’s been more attentive to me that some women doctors I’ve had.
Interesting….my doctor said they don’t prescribe HRT until I’m actually in menopause. I had gone to him because the hot flashes were hitting me almost every 15 minutes. Guess I have to suffer until I stop having a period for one year.
Something else no one talks about – apparently going through menopause can make your ADHD symptoms increase dramatically. I wasn’t diagnosed until this year, and I thought I was losing my mind – things just had gotten so much worse the past year or so.
Same for me Krista, they won’t prescribe it until I enter full menopause without periods for a year.
It is not true that all gynecologists don’t prescribe HRT until after menopause. Some doctors really are not aware. The education about HRT was really poor in the mid-2000s and beyond because of the incorrectly interpreted WHI study findings. A gynecologist told me that their professional society has been pretty slow to update their HRT education, although with recent publicity that may be happening.
It’s important to start HRT before the complete menopausal transition because this can help prevent the precipitous bone loss that occurs in the 1 to 2 years surrounding menopause. Nope, I’m not saying the one to two years after menopause, but during the transition itself.
A person having hot flashes, barring other reasons to not take HRT, typically is a good candidate for HRT. Hot flashes aka vasomotor symptoms are associated with more cardiac disease, and estradiol protects against this. It’s important to start as soon as possible, before damage cardiovascular system and bones occurs. For example, cholesterol goes up with estrogen deficiency. HRT also helps with a lot of other symptoms, but if a person is having hot flashes that alone is enough to start HRT.
You can find a doctor who understands this at the menopause society website. They have a find a practitioner search tool.
I sure hope that over time, the response you’re gynecologist gave you will become less and less common, but for now women have to find doctors who are well versed in HRT.
I can second that. Also the pandemic made ADHD worse for a lot of people. I am 57, fully menopausal – diagnosed last July. It explained SO MUCH. And yes, it made it worse to deal with. I refuse to call them symptoms though. It’s not a disease, it’s a difference. One that a minority of the population seems to have had since, like, ever.
I had no menopause symptoms. My periods just stopped. It’s rare but it can happen, as my gynaecologist told me. One day I realised it was a year on since my last period. I know I’m very lucky. I don’t know whether the lack of hot flushes and bad nights has helped my skin, or my mixed ethnicity has had a hand in it, or wearing massive amounts of SPF foundation since god knows when has been key. Anyway, recently visited a specialist clinic for a cyst removal (sorry, grim!) and the consultant there kept telling me I did not look like a menopausal woman. And you think: 1) why does that matter 2) what does that look like 3) is this the be all and end all, I’m here to get a cyst checked out that’s been worrying me, not to hear what you think is a jack pot of some kind. I met a young woman, one of his clients, before I went in. She was there for her “regular botox”. She was 28. Her face was like glass. Her choice, but you do wonder what the hell is going on with women and ageing and what the end goal is.
Everytime Halle mentions her Dr(s) all I can think is….please get new doctors Halle. Yours are hot garbage.
I don’t look menopausal either and I’m 71 so that was a pretty stupid thing for her doctor to say. I was on HRT for 20 years until breast cancer brought that to a screeching halt and I had to go cold turkey. I found some supplements (soy isoflavones and pueraria mirifica) that halved the number and severity of hot flashes, night sweats and sleepless nights I was experiencing and used an estriol vaginal cream so my hoo-ha didn’t dry up.
I’m 71 and don’t look menopausal either — what a stupid thing for her doctor to say. I was on HRT for 20 years but breast cancer stopped that immediately so I take a few supplements that help mitigate the flashes, sweats and insomnia.
How do you look menopausal?
š¤£š¤£š¤£š @Goofpuff
Your face now has no problem smiling while simultaneously flipping off anyone who irks you. . So I’ve been told. š
I’ve been menopausal since I was 5 then LOL
Re: 51 with no period in 2 months and perimenopausal symptoms
If a woman is a candidate, it’s important to start HRT early to prevent the precipitous bone loss that occurs in the one to two years surrounding menopause. It also prevents development of cardiovascular disease and protects the brain, as well as helps with vaginal health, prevention of UTI after sex, mood, and sleep.
By HRT, I am referring very specifically to transdermal estradiol and oral micronized progesterone. These are prescription pharmaceutical medications but are also the same chemical structure that your body makes (AKA bioidentical). If your doctor does not know how to prescribe HRT or tries to give you oral estrogen or oral contraceptives, find a different doctor. The menopause society has a practitioner finder
Its worth mentioning also- if you dont start and stay on teh HRT early to ease yourself off it, you cannot simply later start on it after your body has adjusted without.
Thats what my moms Dr has said to her, after she didnt continue her HRT for the last 2,5 years- to simply start it now would be harmful.
So the earlier, the better, ACTUALLY… although I am more of a proponent of herbal and nutritional support first and foremost.
I speak not from total ignorance- I am not in menopause, but i am completely infertile and spent most of my young adulthood without periods so my body basically acts just like I dont have a proper hormonal cycle as well. The only thing I can do is support myself herbally and nutritionally. They will all point to some easy fix and then not believe you when their easy fix doesnt magically make you perfectly healthy.
Had an almost unnoticed menopause, except for hair thinning and my ADHD getting worse. One thing that I did do was get a hormonal IUD at 45 after a miscarriage. My doctor let me know that in the US, these IUDs are recommended to be replace every 5 years, but in the EU, they are approved for 10 years. So he told me he tells patients to leave their “last” one in for the extra five years to get the hormonal boost through menopause. I had zero hot flashes or vaginal issues. Had it removed and periods didn’t come back. Don’t think there are any studies about it, but anyone with an IUD should consider it.
It’s important to note that the amount of levonorgestrel released by the iud decreases progressively each year. So after 8 years you’re only getting about a third of the dose that you got in year 1. That’s a nice gradual taper down if you time it right. It also keeps the uterine lining nice and thin which reduces cancer risk too.
I had an IUD put in at 51 (6 years ago) and have had no major menopause symptoms the whole time.
She’s not someone I’ve ever really been a fan of, but I really appreciate her for speaking on this. I’m 42 and have PMDD and a history of mood disorders related to pregnancy. I’m terrified of peri/menopause. My body doesn’t do well with hormonal fluctuations. There’s just no clear information. I take HBC full time so I don’t have a period… I don’t even understand how I would know when it starts to hit.
Just want to say this is an excellent post with really informative comments. Thank you fellow celebitches for all this insight