Shocking: Halle Berry’s Worst-Ever ‘Herpes’ Was Actually Misdiagnosed Perimenopause!

Renowned actress Halle Berry divulged that a herpes misdiagnosis three years back inspired her to use her influence to aid other women dealing with menopause.

The 57-year-old Academy Award winner narrated the graphic incident of her misdiagnosis that happened after a passionate encounter with her boyfriend, Grammy-award winning artist Van Hunt. Speaking candidly about her intimate life on Monday at the Getty Center during the fourth annual summit “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation” hosted by social impact agency Propper Daley, Berry described the extreme pain she experienced after the act.

“I woke up one morning after an amazing night and felt like I had razor blades in my vagina,” Berry shared in a conversation with a humorously shocked First Lady Jill Biden (via People and Yahoo Entertainment). “I rushed to my gynecologist and described my symptoms. His diagnosis was shocking – he suggested that it was the worst case of herpes he had ever encountered.”

She further explained that her doctor ran additional tests and was convinced of the herpes diagnosis. Consequently, she confronted her boyfriend about it and they both underwent testing – with both results coming back negative for herpes. She eventually discovered that the pain she was experiencing was due to vaginal dryness, a symptom of perimenopause, a stage when a woman’s menstruation cycle becomes more irregular before menopause.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that the level of estrogen produced by a woman’s ovaries begins to change in her 30s and 40s. Perimenopause is often signaled by changes in the menstrual cycle, which can become longer, shorter, or even skipped entirely. The flow might also be heavier or lighter than usual.

Berry, a mother of two, expressed her disappointment that her doctor failed to prepare her for this transition, which marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. She stated, “That’s when I realized I need to use my platform to make a difference for other women.”

Berry has since taken actions to reshape societal perceptions of women at this stage in their lives. She founded Respin, an online community focused on perimenopause and menopausal health. The platform caters to women experiencing menopause or nearing it, as well as those who wish to be prepared for the future, as per the organization’s website.

She confessed to First Lady Biden that her confidence made her believe that she could bypass menopause, given her excellent physical condition and her control over her diabetes since her twenties. She admitted, “I was completely uninformed about it at that time.”

Biden emphasized the importance of preventative medicine. Her participation at the summit followed a week after President Biden signed an executive order to further the study of women’s health.

Berry’s personal story highlighted the larger issue of the inadequate treatment of Black women’s health issues. She discussed her appearance at the event in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“Today, I had the privilege of participating in ‘a day of unreasonable conversation.’ It’s a platform where producers, writers, showrunners, and studio heads gather to discuss important and relevant topics to create meaningful film and TV content that resonates with audiences!” she wrote.

“As the founder of @respin, I focused on Menopause and was joined by @flotus who is doing groundbreaking work for women’s health issues. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue the conversation on a topic that is close to my heart and one that impacts half the population!,” Berry added.