Halle Berry, a menopausal woman who is proud of it, regularly speaks out on topics considered "sensitive." The actress, who portrayed Catwoman on screen and played a heroine in the X-Men universe, has a real-life superpower: she breaks taboos with the sheer power of her words. Recently, she admitted to postponing her gynecologist appointments because of a chaotic first experience in the stirrups. This personal account resonates with many women.
Halle Berry, unfiltered about her relationship with the gynecologist
An Oscar-winning actress who has portrayed badass characters, Halle Berry is an activist at heart. This woman, who matured before the captivated eyes of audiences and whose image graced the walls of our teenage bedrooms, is more than just a silhouette. Moreover, this body, which made such an impression in that daring latex catsuit and which was long considered a fantasy, is something she still seeks to understand and decipher.
While she's often portrayed as a demigoddess fallen from the sky, she has the same anxieties as "the average woman." Having accepted menopause, she doesn't hesitate to speak out about what others try to keep secret for the sake of their image. The most adored celebrities in the film industry remain human above all, including those who have embodied powerful and unflappable fictional characters.
In an interview with HuffPost , Halle Berry opened up about her intimate health. She spoke about a fear that's almost universal: the fear of the gynecologist. It seems that even the biggest actresses postpone routine appointments, not because of busy schedules or demanding auditions, but out of apprehension. Halle Berry constantly delays this daunting moment, and even though there's no "good reason" to miss such an exam, she says she was traumatized by her first Pap smear.
“When I was younger, because of the old speculum, I didn’t go every year. Frankly, I didn’t like it,” Halle Berry said. She continued, “I didn’t like having to clench my teeth. I didn’t like how it felt.” This statement makes even more sense since her 18-year-old daughter is entering an age where spreading her legs in front of a dazzling light is practically a rite of passage.
Modernizing the speculum: the actress's powerful act
If, like Halle Berry, many women procrastinate on this check-up that takes place below the belt, it's not just because they fear bad news or alarming results. When they undress for the examination, they feel weak and highly vulnerable. Fear of judgment, of the final diagnosis, of the pain felt through this cold metal object, which hasn't evolved since the 19th century… women prefer to remain ignorant rather than submit to this examination, which sometimes feels like "just an object."
“When I learned that 72% of women forgo their pelvic floor exam for fear of undergoing this intimate, often painful and distressing examination with the old, outdated speculum, I was deeply concerned,” the actress lamented. It must be said that the speculum is something of a medical relic, resembling a torture device more than a great ergonomic innovation.
Concerned about women's intimate well-being, Halle Berry has made this universal issue a personal crusade. Aware of the outdated and barbaric nature of the speculum, a relic of a bygone era in gynecology, she partnered with the company Nella to modernize this instrument and make it more user-friendly. Together, they developed a speculum made of polymer, a material believed to be softer and quieter. A belated revolution in the design of medical equipment, but one of public benefit.
Halle Berry, very involved in women's health
Halle Berry, the face of the Bond girl who has become the face of a vital cause, wants to address the shortcomings of a two-tiered healthcare system that has long accused women of exaggerating their symptoms or being overly sensitive. Her deep commitment to this personal awareness campaign stems from her own experience of feeling neglected by the medical establishment, as if trapped in a "no woman's land."
In an interview with Women's Health , Halle Berry recounts experiencing a prolonged period of perimenopause without understanding what was happening to her. She felt like a stranger in her own body. At one point, healthcare professionals even mistook gynecological symptoms for herpes. This experience opened her eyes to the lack of training among doctors, who are still largely uninformed about this pivotal time in a woman's life. This experience served as a catalyst and encouraged her to create the collaborative platform Respin, a kind of "safe space" for women entering menopause.
"We deserve more resources, more funding, more education, more research, because we have the right to understand how our bodies work and what is best for us," concludes Halle Berry, who also deserves the Oscar for kindness.
