Last Thursday, the actress spoke before the U.S. Capitol, standing alongside a group of senators, to advance research in women’s health.

57-year-old Halle Berry openly shared her personal experience of the natural biological stage that every mature woman goes through — menopause. She emphasized the need to destigmatize this important process in a woman’s life.

«I’m going through menopause, got it?» boldly stated Halle. «We need to rid ourselves of the shame associated with it. We should be talking about this completely normal part of our lives that happens to everyone. Our doctors can’t even say the word to us, let alone guide us through it.»

The legislation in question, known as the «Menopause Care Improvement and Middle Age Women’s Health Act,» proposes significant federal investments — $275 million. Such budgets are necessary to develop initiatives related to menopause. The funding will be directed towards supporting hormonal therapy, which is crucial for treating symptoms such as hot flashes, as well as conducting clinical trials.

The celebrity once received an incorrect diagnosis: she was diagnosed with herpes, but later Halle discovered that her symptoms were related to perimenopause, the stage preceding menopause, characterized by a significant decrease in estrogen levels. This experience convinced her of the need to address this issue at the healthcare level. In the proposed bill, $125 million will be allocated specifically for crucial clinical trials and research, while the remaining funds will be used to improve the diagnosis, detection, and treatment of menopause, as well as to increase public awareness.

«Menopause is a normal word, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, and it’s not something that Congress or the federal government should ignore,» emphasized Senator Patty Murray.

Seventeen female senators are currently supporting the bill, and their collective voice on Thursday was aimed at facilitating dialogue around menopause, making this topic less taboo. It is also known that Hollywood star Drew Barrymore has invested a sum of money in the medical company Evernow, which specializes in menopause research.