{"id":71714,"date":"2024-05-07T10:38:32","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T14:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=71714"},"modified":"2025-02-12T12:35:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T17:35:28","slug":"halle-berry-to-congress-menopause-is-not-a-bad-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/halle-berry-to-congress-menopause-is-not-a-bad-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Halle Berry to Congress: \u2018Menopause is Not a Bad Word\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Senators Murray &amp; Murkowski &amp; Halle Berry Announce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Support for Menopause\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IvR59idcOz8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m in <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/study-menopause-wreaks-havoc-on-womens-careers-to-the-tune-of-1-8-billion\/\">menopause<\/a>, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not every day someone shouts that from the steps of the U.S. Capitol \u2013 nevermind someone famous. But that\u2019s exactly what actress <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/actress-director-halle-berry-sells-bruised-film-netflix-20-million\/\">Halle Berry<\/a> did late last week, in a bid for Congressional support of legislation that would, if approved, see $275 million in federal funding dedicated toward research and education efforts around menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bill \u2013 known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baldwin.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/senator-baldwin-leads-bipartisan-bill-to-boost-menopause-research-expand-training-and-awareness-around-menopause\">Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women\u2019s Health Act<\/a> \u2013 was drafted and introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers that includes Senators Tammy Baldwin, Lisa Murkowski and Amy Klobuchar. Others, including Senators Tammy Duckworth and Kirsten Gillibrand, co-sponsored the bill. Several of them joined Berry for the announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_37369b26f99144e046288f91ca6caff5\" class=\"wp-block related-post alignwide\">\n      <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"section-title\">\n      <h4>Related<\/h4>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"post-wrap\">\n              <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/known-for-her-tiktok-videos-a-menopause-expert-launches-a-new-brand\/\" class=\"post-image-link\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6T9A0109-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"mary claire haver\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6T9A0109-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6T9A0109-1-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6T9A0109-1-84x84.jpg 84w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6T9A0109-1-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"entry-text\">\n          <h3 class=\"post-title\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/known-for-her-tiktok-videos-a-menopause-expert-launches-a-new-brand\/\">\n              Known for Her TikTok Videos, a Menopause Expert Launches a New Brand\n            <\/a>\n          <\/h3>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<p>Specifically, the money sought would be used to expand menopause research at the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to refine early detection, diagnosis and treatment courses, to improve medical training on treating menopause through grant-funded programs, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such investments could make life far easier for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hassan.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/senator-hassan-and-other-women-senators-rally-to-introduce-historic-new-bipartisan-legislation-to-boost-menopause-research-expand-training-and-awareness-around-menopause\">75 million women<\/a> who are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause right now in the U.S., proponents of the bill argue \u2013 and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3056703\/how-menopause-silently-affects-27-million-women-at-work-every-day\">roughly 6,000 more women<\/a> entering this new phase of life each day. At present, menopause is hurting women\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC10540666\/\">careers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2023\/09\/easing-transition-into-menopause\">mental health<\/a>, research shows, as they weather <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/introduction-to-menopause\">symptoms<\/a> such as hot flashes and mood swings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile half of Americans will experience menopause in their lifetime, many women are forced to suffer in silence with sometimes debilitating symptoms and limited options for treatment,\u201d Baldwin said in a statement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, the stigma that still surrounds menopause is directly harming scores of Americans, too, supporters of the bill note \u2013 making it all the more pressing to advocate for it loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe shame has to be taken out of menopause,\u201d Berry, who is 57, said while addressing the public last Thursday. \u201cWe have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens. Our doctors can\u2019t even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_21b875b2d6eab0c9ca6eeb75599a18a0\" class=\"wp-block related-post alignwide\">\n      <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"section-title\">\n      <h4>Related<\/h4>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"post-wrap\">\n              <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/gwyneth-paltrow-cameron-diaz-and-drew-barrymore-just-invested-in-a-menopause-startup\/\" class=\"post-image-link\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/7999565312_aef913138f_o-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"gwyneth paltrow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/7999565312_aef913138f_o-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/7999565312_aef913138f_o-1-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"entry-text\">\n          <h3 class=\"post-title\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/gwyneth-paltrow-cameron-diaz-and-drew-barrymore-just-invested-in-a-menopause-startup\/\">\n              Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore Just Invested in a Menopause Startup\n            <\/a>\n          <\/h3>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Oscar-winning actress spoke out in support of legislation that would fund menopause research and education &#8211; while trying to destigmatize it in the process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":44626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":false,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19477,73],"tags":[19525,21295,20554,19641],"class_list":["post-71714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-women","category-happening-now","tag-black-women","tag-legislative-advocacy","tag-menopause-awareness","tag-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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