Halle Berry Recalls Herpes Scare That Was Actually Perimenopause

Halle Berry had an unusual health scare that resulted in her learning she was perimenopausal. 

Berry joined other notable figures, such as Kerry Washington, Jane Fonda, First Lady Jill Biden, and Paris Hilton, at the "A Day of Unreasonable Conversation" summit.

During the event, Berry spoke passionately about breaking stigmas around women's health, highlighting her own experience with menopause and her mission to change how society views this critical phase of womanhood.

The actress opened up about being misdiagnosed with herpes when, in fact, she was experiencing early signs of menopause.

Reflecting on her diagnosis, the actress recounted her recently meeting the "man of my dreams," her partner Van Hunt. After they became intimate, she experienced extreme pain, prompting her to undergo testing.

Berry shared that her doctor initially diagnosed her with the worst case of herpes. However, subsequent testing revealed that neither she nor Hunt had the disease. As she shared via The Hollywood Reporter:

"First of all, my ego told me that I was going to skip it — I'm very safe, I'm healthy…I realized after the fact that is a symptom of perimenopause. 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.'"

Berry's candid speech at the summit was not her first time publicly addressing her menopausal experience. In an essay written last August, the "Monster's Ball" star expressed that she is "solidly in [her] womanhood" and planned to share her experiences with women of all ages.

"I'm smack dab in the middle of menopause. And I am challenging everything I thought I knew about menopause. Things like: 'Your life is over.' 'You are disposable.' 'Society no longer has a place for you.' 'You should retire.' 'You should pack it up,'" she wrote.

The 57-year-old highlighted the importance of demystifying aging by discussing it openly with other women. She emphasized the role of community in understanding and learning from each other's experiences, stating, "We're all going through it." 

She also stressed the value of curiosity and sharing to educate and support one another in managing the challenges of aging.

Going further, Berry emphasized the significance of trusting her instincts in her personal and professional life. She added that she now saw the value of her perspective, stating, "I finally realize what I have to say is valuable, even if no one else agrees."

The "Catwoman" actress then noted that her directorial debut with "Bruised" has empowered her to challenge male writers when female characters feel inauthentic. Ultimately, Berry's advice to all women is to fully embrace and own every stage of their lives, regardless of their age. 

She penned, "Be clear about who you are and how you wanna live your life because it's yours and yours alone to live."

Later in December, The Blast observed that the 1986 Miss World contestant teamed up with Senator Cory Booker to challenge the stigma surrounding perimenopause and menopause. 

"Every woman, if you live long enough, will go through menopause, and most women spend the longest period of their life in their premenopause or menopausal years, like three decades," Berry told Booker. 

She stated that it was "absurd" that there was such a lack of information about a situation that every woman experiences and occupies a significant portion of her life. 

It is due to the stigma surrounding discussions about menopause that Berry has chosen to actively engage in efforts to "destigmatize it."

In her words, "We can't talk about it, and when we go to our doctors to talk about it, only 13 percent of doctors even understand the menopausal body, so they can't even help really."

One way that she believed politicians could help would be to pass a bill "that will provide more research so that doctors can get retooled." As far as Berry is concerned, "The more we know, the more we can pass to the American public." 

The mother of two added that there was a "need to understand" how menopause affects "early onset Alzheimer's, or dementia, or Parkinson's disease, or heart disease, diabetes." 

She also noted that apart from the general lack of awareness about the various changes that menopause can bring to a woman's life, it was crucial to acknowledge the racial disparities that exist in this context as well.

So far, Berry's legislative work focuses on promoting research, education, and awareness of menopause. She also advocates for more conversations about ensuring women can access the treatments they need through insurance coverage.