Halle Berry leaves Internet aghast as she shares how ‘worst case of herpes’ turned out to be menopause

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Halle Berry recently opened up about her experience with perimenopause, shedding light on a misdiagnosis that led to a surprising discovery about her health, reported People.

Speaking at Propper Daley's 'A Day of Unreasonable Conversation' summit alongside First Lady Dr Jill Biden, the 57-year-old actress shared an intimate conversation about women's health and menopause.

Halle Berry's revelation: Perimenopause misdiagnosed as herpes

Berry revealed that she initially believed she could bypass perimenopause due to her good health and fitness. However, at 54, she experienced severe pain after intercourse and rushed to her gynecologist, fearing the worst.

“First of all, my ego told me that I was going to skip [perimenopause],” she began. “I'm in great shape. I'm healthy. I managed to get myself off of insulin and manage my diabetes since I'm 20 years old. So that makes one think, oh, I can handle menopause. I'm going to skip that whole thing. I was so uneducated about it at that time.”

“I feel like I have razor blades in my vagina. I run to my gynecologist and I say, ‘Oh my God, what's happening?’ It was terrible,” she recalled, teasing that she has “no shame” in sharing her story because it can help other women. “He said, ‘You have the worst case of herpes I've ever seen.’ I'm like, ‘Herpes? I don't have herpes!’”

Berry said she confronted her boyfriend Van Hunt about it immediately. Later, both of the couple tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

“I realize after the fact, that is a symptom of perimenopause,” the actress said, noting that dryness is a symptom of the transitional period. “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 urged for a shift in cultural attitudes toward women experiencing menopause, encouraging the audience to join her in advocating for change.

The actress said she’s “challenging all those stereotypes about how you have to look a certain way or feel a certain way” while she’s “smack dab in the middle of menopause.”

“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 said.

Internet reacts to Halle Berry's perimenopause revelation

Halle Berry's recent revelation about her misdiagnosis of perimenopause as herpes has sparked a range of reactions on the Internet, with many expressing surprise and concern.

One user expressed disbelief stating, "Good grief. What a weird story. Since when is herpes a sign of perimenopause?" while another wrote, "Hope she found a better doctor. Should of known it was not herpes." 

Someone else commented, "Wtf symptom mimics herpes?! Geez!"

The confusion around the symptoms drew attention, with one user expressing shock at the fact that perimenopause symptoms could mimic those of herpes.

"It's pretty sad that a gynecologist doesn't know anything about perimenopause. SERIOUSLY!? How can you be a gynecologist and not know and understand women's health?" one asked.

Another user commented, "Our mothers and grandmothers didn’t prepare us for anything more than hot flashes due to the stigma. Thank you for educating other women."

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