Halle Berry revealed at the A Day of Unreasonable Conversation summit that she once thought she had herpes but it turned out to be perimenopause. She experienced extreme pain after being intimate with her boyfriend, Van Hunt, which led to doctors initially thinking she had herpes. However, tests showed that neither Berry nor Hunt had the sexually transmitted infection. The actress realized that the symptoms she experienced were actually due to perimenopause, and she felt a calling to use her platform to raise awareness about women’s health issues during this stage of life.
Berry shared that at the time, she had believed her healthy habits would allow her to skip menopause altogether, given her history of managing diabetes and other health issues since a young age. Perimenopause is a transitional time around menopause characterized by symptoms caused by changing hormone levels in the body. While every woman will go through menopause unless they had their ovaries removed before puberty, the experience can vary greatly from person to person. Berry emphasized the need to change the way culture views women during this stage of life and to highlight the positive aspects of aging.
During her speech, Berry acknowledged that she and fellow women like Jill Biden are not at the end of their lives but rather entering a new phase. She stressed the importance of changing societal perceptions of menopause and perimenopause and ensuring that these stages are not viewed solely in a negative light. Berry hopes to inspire a shift in the way both women and men view women as they age and to create a more positive and empowering narrative around midlife and menopause.
Berry’s story was shared in front of other prominent figures such as Kerry Washington, Jane Fonda, and Paris Hilton. She expressed the need for raising awareness around women’s health issues and the importance of changing the dialogue around menopause and perimenopause. Berry also touched on how her personal experiences with perimenopause have motivated her to be an advocate for women’s health and to use her platform to make a difference in the lives of other women going through similar challenges.
In addition to her advocacy work, Berry has been in a relationship with Van Hunt since 2020, bonding over quarantine during the pandemic. While they do not have children together, Berry co-parents her two children, daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry and son Maceo-Robert Martinez, with her ex-partners. The actress’s openness about her experiences with perimenopause and her advocacy for changing societal perceptions of aging have resonated with many, sparking important conversations about women’s health and aging in a positive and empowering way. Berry’s story serves as an inspiration for women to embrace all stages of life, including perimenopause and menopause, with grace and dignity.
