(WASHINGTON) — Halle Berry is joining a group of bipartisan senators to push for legislation that would allocate $275 million to research and education surrounding menopause, the significant hormonal change women go through in midlife.
The legislation requires the federal government to spend more on menopause clinical trials, as well as hormone therapy which is used to treat hot flashes and other symptoms.
Berry, 57, shouted about menopause outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. She said it’s a word her own doctor told her he was afraid to say in front of her.
“I’m in menopause, okay?” Berry shouted, drawing laughter from the crowd. “The shame has to be removed from menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our lives that happens. Our doctors can’t even say the word to us, let alone guide us through the journey.”
In recent months, Hollywood’s top actress has been candid about the painful symptoms she has experienced during perimenopause, which occurs before menopause when a woman’s estrogen levels begin to drop. Her doctor initially misdiagnosed her with herpes, a sexually transmitted disease for which both Berry and her partner tested negative.
Under a proposal from Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, $125 million would be set aside for clinical trials, public health and medical research into menopause. The remaining money would help support menopause detection and diagnosis, train doctors in menopause treatment, and increase public awareness of the issue.
“Menopause is not a dirty word, it is not something to be ashamed of, and it is not something that Congress or the federal government should ignore,” Murray said.
The project is supported by 17 senators – three Republicans, 13 Democrats, one independent and all women. Several senators said Thursday they hope the bill also encourages doctors, women and men to talk more openly about the health milestone that all women experience.
In addition to Berry, other celebrities I started sharing more about menopause on talk shows and interviews, while some have even started selling menopause-related products. And last year, President Joe Biden launched a new initiative to improve the federal government’s investigation into women’s health, including menopause. Dr. Mônica Bertagnolli, director of the National Institutes of Health, stated that very little is known about women’s health at all stages of life. Her agency is the main medical research arm of the federal government.
While the legislation eliminated what is typically one of Congress’ biggest hurdles — gaining bipartisan support — its prospects are uncertain. It is difficult to pass bills through Congress at any time, and the challenges are compounded now by division in Congress and the decreasing number of days on the legislative calendar before the November elections.
The women’s group will have to get buy-in from their male colleagues to make the money for menopause research a reality. Congress is overwhelmingly represented by men.
Murkowski said she was eager to gain support from her male colleagues. “If men went through menopause, we would have adequately and appropriately funded menopause research decades and decades ago.”
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Associated Press Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
