Halle Berry recently opened up about her challenging journey through perimenopause, revealing that her symptoms were mistakenly diagnosed as a severe herpes infection. While speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show, the 58-year-old actress shared an emotional story about how the misdiagnosis led to confusion and distress in her personal life.
Recalling her experience, Berry revealed that when she was 54, she was in a happy phase of her life after meeting her partner, musician Van Hunt. However, one morning, she faced extreme discomfort while trying to use the bathroom.
“I woke up and tried to go, but it was incredibly painful,” Berry said. “It took almost ten minutes just to empty my bladder.” She also noticed unusual bodily changes that left her concerned. The discomfort became unbearable, prompting Hunt to take her to a doctor for an urgent check-up.
The initial medical assessment suggested she had a “severe case of herpes,” which led to a tense discussion between the couple as they tried to process the unexpected diagnosis. “For the next three days, we went back and forth, wondering what had happened and where it came from,” she shared.
However, hours later, Berry received another call from her doctor, clarifying that she did not have herpes. Instead, the symptoms were a result of perimenopause, a stage leading up to menopause that brings significant hormonal changes.
“That was a defining moment for me,” Berry explained. “I had to figure out what was happening to my body on my own.”
She further reflected on the lack of open discussions about perimenopause and how she had to navigate the condition without prior knowledge. “Nobody had ever seriously talked to me about it,” she admitted. “That’s when I started calling it ‘dry vagina syndrome’ because no one prepares you for the changes.”
Berry’s candid revelation has sparked conversations about the importance of menopause awareness, encouraging women to seek proper guidance and medical support during this transformative phase of life.
