1 00:00:01,168 --> 00:00:03,879 Oprah: Right now, 1 billion women around the world 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:03,879 --> 00:00:06,048 are experiencing menopause. 4 00:00:06,048 --> 00:00:10,135 It comes in the middle of the night like a ghost. 5 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 6 00:00:10,135 --> 00:00:13,263 And it's called perimenopause. 7 00:00:13,263 --> 00:00:16,475 Oprah: Despite its impact on half the global population, 8 00:00:16,475 --> 00:00:20,145 menopause has remained a taboo topic. 9 00:00:20,145 --> 00:00:24,900 I don't know why nobody else be talking about this. 10 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:27,152 Nobody talks about it, and they should, 11 00:00:27,152 --> 00:00:29,780 because it lasts 10 years. 12 00:00:29,780 --> 00:00:33,158 Oprah: Women have felt ignored and invisible 13 00:00:33,158 --> 00:00:36,495 while suffering from a long list of symptoms. 14 00:00:36,495 --> 00:00:38,288 Anxiety, bloating, constipation, body odor, 15 00:00:38,288 --> 00:00:40,040 breast soreness, depression. 16 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,251 Just depressed. Tamsen: Difficulty concentrating. 17 00:00:42,251 --> 00:00:44,294 Menopause brain or brain fog. 18 00:00:44,294 --> 00:00:46,004 You think you're losing your mind. 19 00:00:46,004 --> 00:00:49,299 Tamsen: Hair loss. Here's the hair I lost in the shower. 20 00:00:49,299 --> 00:00:51,176 Tamsen: Heart palpitations, hot flashes. 21 00:00:51,176 --> 00:00:52,970 And these boys that are my age, 22 00:00:52,970 --> 00:00:56,306 honey, they've laid in the bed next to a woman and thought, 23 00:00:56,306 --> 00:00:58,392 "Is that steam coming off of her?" 24 00:00:58,392 --> 00:00:59,726 It's hot. 25 00:00:59,726 --> 00:01:01,812 Tamsen: Irregular periods, irritability, 26 00:01:01,812 --> 00:01:04,606 itchy skin, libido changes, memory lapses, 27 00:01:04,606 --> 00:01:06,650 mood swings, pain during sex, sleeplessness. 28 00:01:06,650 --> 00:01:08,652 I couldn't sleep. Forget sleep. 29 00:01:08,652 --> 00:01:10,404 Tamsen: Weight gain, vaginal dryness. 30 00:01:10,404 --> 00:01:12,739 Everything is as dry as the desert. 31 00:01:12,739 --> 00:01:14,408 Oprah: Tonight, a frank, honest, 32 00:01:14,408 --> 00:01:16,660 and sometimes shocking exploration 33 00:01:16,660 --> 00:01:20,205 on a misunderstood health issue that impacts all of us. 34 00:01:20,205 --> 00:01:21,999 I had no estrogen, no progesterone, 35 00:01:21,999 --> 00:01:23,542 and no testosterone. 36 00:01:23,542 --> 00:01:26,086 And that makes you real bitter and angry. 37 00:01:29,673 --> 00:01:34,511 The mood swings and not wanting to, you know, be intimate. 38 00:01:42,311 --> 00:01:44,021 Did I mention that I'm hot? 39 00:01:44,021 --> 00:01:48,567 Welcome to "The Menopause Revolution"! 40 00:01:48,567 --> 00:01:49,860 [ Cheers and applause ] 41 00:01:49,860 --> 00:01:53,530 And I say revolution and also liberation, 42 00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:55,782 because for generation after generation, 43 00:01:55,782 --> 00:02:00,370 the word "menopause" was barely even whispered. 44 00:02:00,370 --> 00:02:04,207 But I know you all can feel that there is a radical shift, right? 45 00:02:04,207 --> 00:02:06,752 There's something happening around menopause, 46 00:02:06,752 --> 00:02:10,088 and that is why we are here. 47 00:02:10,088 --> 00:02:14,301 If you live long enough, menopause is coming for you. 48 00:02:14,301 --> 00:02:15,761 [ Laughter ] 49 00:02:15,761 --> 00:02:20,599 New research says that even women as young as 35 50 00:02:20,599 --> 00:02:23,101 can start showing symptoms of perimenopause. 51 00:02:23,101 --> 00:02:25,854 So instead of suffering in silence 52 00:02:25,854 --> 00:02:28,940 or wrapping it in shame about getting older, 53 00:02:28,940 --> 00:02:31,068 we can stop the stereotypes 54 00:02:31,068 --> 00:02:33,528 and we can change this conversation 55 00:02:33,528 --> 00:02:35,864 around mental health, around sleep, 56 00:02:35,864 --> 00:02:38,617 around weight loss or gain 57 00:02:38,617 --> 00:02:43,830 or losing your hair, sex drive, your brain, and longevity. 58 00:02:43,830 --> 00:02:46,166 So much has changed for the better. 59 00:02:46,166 --> 00:02:49,961 You can make a vibrant, healthy, exciting life. 60 00:02:49,961 --> 00:02:51,755 You can have that in menopause. 61 00:02:51,755 --> 00:02:53,882 I know this to be true. 62 00:02:53,882 --> 00:02:55,676 And I remember when I was 48 -- 63 00:02:55,676 --> 00:02:59,763 I was around 48 when I started getting heart palpitations. 64 00:02:59,763 --> 00:03:05,102 And for two years straight, y'all, I did not sleep. 65 00:03:05,102 --> 00:03:09,022 I went to five different doctors in Chicago. 66 00:03:09,022 --> 00:03:11,024 I found a cardiologist, 67 00:03:11,024 --> 00:03:15,570 and she gave me an angiogram and put me on heart medication 68 00:03:15,570 --> 00:03:19,366 that I knew the next day was not working for me. 69 00:03:19,366 --> 00:03:22,369 So I ended up wearing a heart monitor for weeks, 70 00:03:22,369 --> 00:03:25,539 and never once, not one time, 71 00:03:25,539 --> 00:03:28,792 did a doctor ever mention to my 48-year-old self 72 00:03:28,792 --> 00:03:31,545 that this could be perimenopause or menopause. 73 00:03:31,545 --> 00:03:34,965 So every night for a solid two years 74 00:03:34,965 --> 00:03:37,676 with just horrible heart palpitations. 75 00:03:37,676 --> 00:03:40,178 I thought I was going to die. I didn't. 76 00:03:40,178 --> 00:03:41,680 [ Light laughter ] 77 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,266 One day at the office, I picked up a book, 78 00:03:44,266 --> 00:03:46,351 and the pages opened to, 79 00:03:46,351 --> 00:03:49,354 "Palpitations, your heart's wake-up call." 80 00:03:49,354 --> 00:03:52,566 And that was the first time that I learned 81 00:03:52,566 --> 00:03:56,278 that those were symptoms that the change was coming. 82 00:03:56,278 --> 00:03:59,114 Now, we just saw clips of comedian Leanne Morgan, 83 00:03:59,114 --> 00:04:02,492 who is one of the funniest people on this planet, 84 00:04:02,492 --> 00:04:05,704 from her hilarious Netflix special, "I'm Every Woman." 85 00:04:05,704 --> 00:04:09,207 [ Cheers and applause ] 86 00:04:09,207 --> 00:04:12,085 I love the fact that you've been able to help us 87 00:04:12,085 --> 00:04:14,212 laugh so much around this subject 88 00:04:14,212 --> 00:04:16,673 that is really serious for a lot of us. 89 00:04:16,673 --> 00:04:18,592 You were affected, too. How? 90 00:04:18,592 --> 00:04:21,178 Um, probably in my late 40s, 91 00:04:21,178 --> 00:04:23,180 I started having the heart palpitations 92 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:24,931 and could not sleep, 93 00:04:24,931 --> 00:04:27,601 and I thought something was really bad wrong with me. 94 00:04:27,601 --> 00:04:29,686 And I went to my precious doctor, and I loved him. 95 00:04:29,686 --> 00:04:32,439 And he was good for a sinus infection. 96 00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:35,442 But I said, "I'm constipated. I'm losing my hair. 97 00:04:35,442 --> 00:04:37,819 I can't sleep. I don't feel good. 98 00:04:37,819 --> 00:04:39,738 I kept putting one foot in front of the other. 99 00:04:39,738 --> 00:04:41,031 I have no energy." 100 00:04:41,031 --> 00:04:42,324 And he said, "You're depressed." 101 00:04:42,324 --> 00:04:43,533 And I said, "Yeah, I think I'm depressed 102 00:04:43,533 --> 00:04:46,286 because I'm constipated, I'm losing my hair." 103 00:04:46,286 --> 00:04:48,872 And then it was so lucky that I found -- 104 00:04:48,872 --> 00:04:51,374 There was a nurse practitioner in Knoxville, Tennessee, 105 00:04:51,374 --> 00:04:54,211 where I live, and she said, "You're in perimenopause. 106 00:04:54,211 --> 00:04:55,545 That's what's wrong with you." 107 00:04:55,545 --> 00:04:58,089 And I was so thankful somebody listened to me. 108 00:04:58,089 --> 00:04:59,341 That's the problem. 109 00:04:59,341 --> 00:05:01,718 People can't get people to listen to them. 110 00:05:01,718 --> 00:05:03,094 Doctor after doctor. 111 00:05:03,094 --> 00:05:04,888 So I have to tell you, 112 00:05:04,888 --> 00:05:07,098 we're so excited to have my next guest. 113 00:05:07,098 --> 00:05:10,185 because she is an Academy Award-winning actress. 114 00:05:10,185 --> 00:05:13,396 I was there the historic night that she won that Oscar. 115 00:05:13,396 --> 00:05:16,274 She's also a Hollywood sex symbol, 116 00:05:16,274 --> 00:05:19,778 and she decided that she is going to flip the script 117 00:05:19,778 --> 00:05:24,032 and turn "menopause" from a dirty word into a flirty word. 118 00:05:24,032 --> 00:05:25,325 Check out Ms. Halle Berry. 119 00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:36,336 An Emmy and Academy Award winner, 120 00:05:36,336 --> 00:05:40,507 director, producer, activist, and mother. 121 00:05:40,507 --> 00:05:44,302 I'm here because I'm standing up for myself, 122 00:05:44,302 --> 00:05:48,557 because I know that when a woman stands up for herself, 123 00:05:48,557 --> 00:05:53,728 she stands up for all women, and all women go through menopause. 124 00:05:53,728 --> 00:05:56,314 Oprah: At age 54, Halle went to see her doctor 125 00:05:56,314 --> 00:05:59,943 after experiencing extreme pain after sex. 126 00:05:59,943 --> 00:06:05,073 I had razor blades in my vagina after a great night of sex, 127 00:06:05,073 --> 00:06:06,866 and I went to the doctor, and he told me, 128 00:06:06,866 --> 00:06:09,619 "Oh, this looks like the worst case of herpes I've ever seen." 129 00:06:09,619 --> 00:06:11,538 And I thought, "Hold it. What?" 130 00:06:11,538 --> 00:06:13,623 Oprah: After testing negative for the disease, 131 00:06:13,623 --> 00:06:16,543 she discovered her symptoms were actually a sign 132 00:06:16,543 --> 00:06:17,961 of perimenopause. 133 00:06:17,961 --> 00:06:20,505 This lit a fire inside Halle. 134 00:06:20,505 --> 00:06:23,800 I'm in menopause! Okay?! 135 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,427 Oprah: She's been to Capitol Hill, 136 00:06:25,427 --> 00:06:28,805 advocating for more research and education. 137 00:06:28,805 --> 00:06:31,850 It's a privilege to age, and we should see it that way. 138 00:06:31,850 --> 00:06:35,645 We should feel like the crown jewels of our society. 139 00:06:35,645 --> 00:06:37,731 I love that term -- crown jewel. 140 00:06:37,731 --> 00:06:39,900 Welcome, Halle Berry! 141 00:06:39,900 --> 00:06:42,485 [ Cheers and applause ] 142 00:06:42,485 --> 00:06:46,323 Oh, good to see you. 143 00:06:46,323 --> 00:06:49,200 So, you know our mothers' generation 144 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,494 and the countless women before them... 145 00:06:51,494 --> 00:06:52,829 Yes. 146 00:06:52,829 --> 00:06:56,082 ...they just buckled down and they took it. 147 00:06:56,082 --> 00:06:59,544 And you could have just kept it to yourself 148 00:06:59,544 --> 00:07:03,632 and been like every other star and avoided any talk about it. 149 00:07:03,632 --> 00:07:05,258 But you didn't. 150 00:07:05,258 --> 00:07:06,885 [ Hoarsely ] I think it was -- And I've got a bad voice. 151 00:07:06,885 --> 00:07:08,428 I'm so sorry. 152 00:07:08,428 --> 00:07:12,474 I think it was because I was so shocked 153 00:07:12,474 --> 00:07:15,518 when I found out that my symptoms were perimenopause. 154 00:07:15,518 --> 00:07:17,896 I was alone. I was afraid. 155 00:07:17,896 --> 00:07:19,522 I thought I was going crazy. 156 00:07:19,522 --> 00:07:22,192 And I thought, my God, if I felt like this, 157 00:07:22,192 --> 00:07:25,779 I can imagine that millions of other women felt this way, 158 00:07:25,779 --> 00:07:28,031 and I was compelled to do something, 159 00:07:28,031 --> 00:07:31,493 and this felt like a moment to stand up, use my platform, 160 00:07:31,493 --> 00:07:34,037 use my voice for something that really matters 161 00:07:34,037 --> 00:07:35,538 and make sure my daughter arrives 162 00:07:35,538 --> 00:07:36,748 at a better place than I did. 163 00:07:36,748 --> 00:07:38,291 And I think because, you know -- 164 00:07:38,291 --> 00:07:40,168 You know you're a sex symbol, right? 165 00:07:40,168 --> 00:07:41,586 I'm not telling you something you don't know. 166 00:07:41,586 --> 00:07:43,880 I think it's because you are Halle Berry 167 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,509 and the fact that you are willing to say it out loud 168 00:07:47,509 --> 00:07:51,680 has really changed it from being a taboo word, 169 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,349 a whispered word to something that's flirty. Yeah. 170 00:07:54,349 --> 00:07:57,894 I mean, 'cause Halle Berry has it, I want it. 171 00:07:57,894 --> 00:07:59,646 Right? Right. 172 00:07:59,646 --> 00:08:01,940 And I want to know, though, when you went to the doctor 173 00:08:01,940 --> 00:08:03,274 and the doctor said that this was 174 00:08:03,274 --> 00:08:07,028 the worst case of herpes he'd ever seen, 175 00:08:07,028 --> 00:08:10,115 did you go home and say to your partner, "What the hell?" 176 00:08:10,115 --> 00:08:14,786 Oh, no, Van was in the car in the parking lot. 177 00:08:14,786 --> 00:08:19,624 I went out to the car and I was like, "So, you got herpes?" 178 00:08:19,624 --> 00:08:21,459 He was like, "No." 179 00:08:21,459 --> 00:08:24,129 I said, "Well, let me be the first to tell you. 180 00:08:24,129 --> 00:08:25,505 You have herpes, 181 00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:27,757 'cause my doctor just told me I had herpes." 182 00:08:27,757 --> 00:08:29,968 So then he got tested. He got tested. 183 00:08:29,968 --> 00:08:31,511 He didn't have herpes. 184 00:08:31,511 --> 00:08:33,388 And I thought, "Oh, wow. 185 00:08:33,388 --> 00:08:36,474 Then I guess I have herpes." 186 00:08:36,474 --> 00:08:39,310 So then I get a call two hours after his call, 187 00:08:39,310 --> 00:08:40,937 and I didn't have herpes, either. 188 00:08:40,937 --> 00:08:42,689 And I -- This was my aha moment. 189 00:08:42,689 --> 00:08:44,190 I thought of you, honestly, 'cause anytime somebody says 190 00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:45,567 "aha moment," who do we think of? 191 00:08:45,567 --> 00:08:46,985 Oprah. Okay. 192 00:08:46,985 --> 00:08:48,403 And I said, "Okay, Doctor, if it's not herpes, 193 00:08:48,403 --> 00:08:49,738 then what is it?" 194 00:08:49,738 --> 00:08:52,991 And he said, "I don't know." 195 00:08:52,991 --> 00:08:55,535 Wow. And that wasn't good enough. 196 00:08:55,535 --> 00:08:57,162 Okay, and I heard, too, 197 00:08:57,162 --> 00:08:59,748 that one doctor wouldn't even use the word "menopause." 198 00:08:59,748 --> 00:09:02,000 Yeah, yeah, that was my eye doctor. Yeah. 199 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,878 My -- My -- My glands were drying up in my eyes. 200 00:09:04,878 --> 00:09:06,212 Which is another symptom. 201 00:09:06,212 --> 00:09:08,256 Everything gets dry -- dry eyes, dry mouth. 202 00:09:08,256 --> 00:09:09,716 I have dry mouth, too, right? 203 00:09:09,716 --> 00:09:11,426 I said, "And why?" 204 00:09:11,426 --> 00:09:14,262 And he said, "Well, I mean, you know, just --" 205 00:09:14,262 --> 00:09:16,848 I said, "Why?" He couldn't say it. 206 00:09:16,848 --> 00:09:19,184 And I said, "Doctor, is it because I'm in menopause 207 00:09:19,184 --> 00:09:20,268 or perimenopause?" 208 00:09:20,268 --> 00:09:22,062 And he said, "Yes, yes! 209 00:09:22,062 --> 00:09:23,563 But I couldn't say that to Halle Berry. 210 00:09:23,563 --> 00:09:25,648 Look at you. I can't tell you you're in menopause." 211 00:09:25,648 --> 00:09:27,776 Wow. I said, "If you can't even say the word, 212 00:09:27,776 --> 00:09:29,319 how can you treat me? 213 00:09:29,319 --> 00:09:30,695 How can you give me the care I need 214 00:09:30,695 --> 00:09:32,155 when you're too afraid to say the word?" 215 00:09:32,155 --> 00:09:33,239 Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Right? 216 00:09:33,239 --> 00:09:34,949 So last year, you joined forces 217 00:09:34,949 --> 00:09:36,326 with U.S. senator Patty Murray. 218 00:09:36,326 --> 00:09:37,535 Yes. Right? 219 00:09:37,535 --> 00:09:39,579 That was to create a standalone bill 220 00:09:39,579 --> 00:09:41,748 that all the funds go to menopause research 221 00:09:41,748 --> 00:09:42,999 and clinical trials. 222 00:09:42,999 --> 00:09:45,543 Because why? Nobody believes it's a thing. 223 00:09:45,543 --> 00:09:48,379 Nobody has believed that it's worth studying. 224 00:09:48,379 --> 00:09:50,465 All the politicians on our federal level 225 00:09:50,465 --> 00:09:52,175 just have felt like, 226 00:09:52,175 --> 00:09:54,010 "Oh, it's just a time of life you just have to go through." 227 00:09:54,010 --> 00:09:57,096 Yeah, and now you've launched your own platform. 228 00:09:57,096 --> 00:09:59,390 Yes, I have -- Respin. Yes. Respin. 229 00:09:59,390 --> 00:10:02,519 Yeah, we're re-spinning what we knew about menopause. 230 00:10:02,519 --> 00:10:04,312 And it's a platform that's the three C's -- 231 00:10:04,312 --> 00:10:07,482 care, content, and conversation, right? 232 00:10:07,482 --> 00:10:08,900 So it's about having a community. 233 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:10,235 That's the conversation. 234 00:10:10,235 --> 00:10:12,028 'Cause I know that women do better 235 00:10:12,028 --> 00:10:13,238 when we have other women to talk to. 236 00:10:13,238 --> 00:10:14,531 That's right. Just talking to you here, 237 00:10:14,531 --> 00:10:16,241 having this conversation, 238 00:10:16,241 --> 00:10:18,326 we're all going to leave here feeling better, more informed. 239 00:10:18,326 --> 00:10:21,704 What has been the thing that actually has surprised you most 240 00:10:21,704 --> 00:10:24,541 about this phase in your life? 241 00:10:24,541 --> 00:10:28,336 I think that nobody brought it up to me ever. 242 00:10:28,336 --> 00:10:31,005 I thought I was going to skip it. 243 00:10:31,005 --> 00:10:32,423 You thought you were going to skip it? I thought I was gonna skip it. 244 00:10:32,423 --> 00:10:34,175 I thought I was superwoman that way. 245 00:10:34,175 --> 00:10:36,761 I thought if I eat right, I exercise, I don't do drugs. 246 00:10:36,761 --> 00:10:38,346 I thought, "I live healthy. 247 00:10:38,346 --> 00:10:40,223 I'm just going to skip that whole thing, whatever that is. 248 00:10:40,223 --> 00:10:42,016 That's not happening to me," right? 249 00:10:42,016 --> 00:10:43,643 I just -- That's how ignorant I was. 250 00:10:43,643 --> 00:10:46,104 Okay, what age were you when you first started the symptoms? 251 00:10:46,104 --> 00:10:47,647 How old were you? Do you remember? 252 00:10:47,647 --> 00:10:49,107 Just after I had my second child. 253 00:10:49,107 --> 00:10:50,733 I was probably 48 years old. 254 00:10:50,733 --> 00:10:52,318 Okay, 48. 48. 255 00:10:52,318 --> 00:10:54,571 But I didn't find out for sure until I was 54. 256 00:10:54,571 --> 00:10:56,990 Wow. And do you find, too -- 257 00:10:56,990 --> 00:10:59,409 After I got over all of the physical symptoms, 258 00:10:59,409 --> 00:11:01,911 something happens to you emotionally, too, 259 00:11:01,911 --> 00:11:03,621 does it not? Yeah. Yeah. 260 00:11:03,621 --> 00:11:07,041 For me, I had no concern about what anybody thought anymore. 261 00:11:07,041 --> 00:11:09,335 And there was a liberation that came with that, right? Yeah. 262 00:11:09,335 --> 00:11:12,672 And a liberation when I figured out that I was in perimenopause 263 00:11:12,672 --> 00:11:14,924 and I knew that I didn't have to stay stuck 264 00:11:14,924 --> 00:11:18,469 in this very scary, very alone, rageful place. 265 00:11:18,469 --> 00:11:20,054 Then I felt the power. 266 00:11:20,054 --> 00:11:23,433 I said, "Wow, I feel like I'm the best me I've ever been." 267 00:11:23,433 --> 00:11:25,310 Yeah, that's what happens. 268 00:11:25,310 --> 00:11:27,437 Yeah. That's what's on the other side. 269 00:11:27,437 --> 00:11:30,857 Halle is staying with us. We're just getting started. 270 00:11:30,857 --> 00:11:34,527 You may be one of the millions who follow her on social media. 271 00:11:34,527 --> 00:11:38,406 Ob-gyn Dr. Mary Claire Haver is here. 272 00:11:38,406 --> 00:11:40,033 And she's the author of the bestselling book 273 00:11:40,033 --> 00:11:41,326 "The New Menopause." 274 00:11:41,326 --> 00:11:42,744 We'll be right back. Be right back. 275 00:11:42,744 --> 00:11:44,454 [ Cheers and applause ] 276 00:11:44,454 --> 00:11:47,040 And I said, "I'm in menopause and I'm old. 277 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:48,875 And should I just leave?" 278 00:11:48,875 --> 00:11:50,835 And we're both old. 279 00:11:50,835 --> 00:11:53,546 And there's one other line in the book 280 00:11:53,546 --> 00:11:55,048 which I'll save for the reader. 281 00:11:55,048 --> 00:11:57,216 Or you can tell it. 282 00:11:57,216 --> 00:11:59,135 "He had gray hairs on his..." 283 00:11:59,135 --> 00:12:00,970 [ Laughter ] 284 00:12:04,599 --> 00:12:09,020 Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified ob-gyn. 285 00:12:09,020 --> 00:12:13,691 Over 6 million of you are following her on social media, 286 00:12:13,691 --> 00:12:16,819 and she's the author of the New York Times bestseller 287 00:12:16,819 --> 00:12:20,490 "The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path 288 00:12:20,490 --> 00:12:24,035 Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts." 289 00:12:24,035 --> 00:12:25,578 I love that -- power. 290 00:12:25,578 --> 00:12:27,956 Before we get started, let's watch a tape 291 00:12:27,956 --> 00:12:29,540 that Dr. Haver did for us 292 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:33,544 that explains what's going on inside our bodies. 293 00:12:33,544 --> 00:12:35,004 Watch this. 294 00:12:35,004 --> 00:12:37,465 Dr. Haver: Females are born with all of their egg supply. 295 00:12:37,465 --> 00:12:40,885 At birth, we have 1 million to 2 million eggs. 296 00:12:40,885 --> 00:12:42,470 By the time we're 30, 297 00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:45,056 we're down to about 10% of that egg supply. 298 00:12:45,056 --> 00:12:46,557 And by the time we're 40, 299 00:12:46,557 --> 00:12:50,395 we're down to about 3% of the original egg supply. 300 00:12:50,395 --> 00:12:53,898 We lose those eggs through the process of ovulation. 301 00:12:53,898 --> 00:12:58,194 About 10,000 eggs die to get one egg to ovulate each month. 302 00:12:58,194 --> 00:13:01,280 And also we lose from the aging process, as well. 303 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,700 In a healthy premenopausal woman, 304 00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:06,244 the menstrual cycle follows a predictable pattern 305 00:13:06,244 --> 00:13:08,413 driven by four key hormones -- 306 00:13:08,413 --> 00:13:10,748 estrogen and progesterone from the ovaries 307 00:13:10,748 --> 00:13:13,376 and LH and FSH from the brain. 308 00:13:13,376 --> 00:13:15,837 The hypothalamus detects low estrogen levels 309 00:13:15,837 --> 00:13:20,049 and signals the pituitary gland to release LH and FSH. 310 00:13:20,049 --> 00:13:22,176 These hormones stimulate the ovaries 311 00:13:22,176 --> 00:13:24,637 to produce estrogen and progesterone. 312 00:13:24,637 --> 00:13:27,598 This cycle is repeated month after month 313 00:13:27,598 --> 00:13:29,934 until we reach perimenopause. 314 00:13:29,934 --> 00:13:32,020 What happens in perimenopause 315 00:13:32,020 --> 00:13:35,231 is we reach a critical low level of egg supply, 316 00:13:35,231 --> 00:13:37,942 where signals from the brain no longer work. 317 00:13:37,942 --> 00:13:41,571 There just aren't enough eggs to respond to those signals. 318 00:13:41,571 --> 00:13:44,907 What used to look like this every month for six months 319 00:13:44,907 --> 00:13:46,743 now kind of looks haphazard. 320 00:13:46,743 --> 00:13:49,078 Because the ovaries can't respond, 321 00:13:49,078 --> 00:13:51,539 the brain keeps sending more and more 322 00:13:51,539 --> 00:13:53,791 and higher and higher signals to the ovaries 323 00:13:53,791 --> 00:13:55,334 to force the ovulation. 324 00:13:55,334 --> 00:13:56,961 Ovulations are delayed. 325 00:13:56,961 --> 00:13:58,504 The progesterone levels 326 00:13:58,504 --> 00:14:00,798 never quite reach where they used to be, 327 00:14:00,798 --> 00:14:03,551 and the estrogen levels fluctuate wildly. 328 00:14:03,551 --> 00:14:07,805 That is why we call perimenopause the zone of chaos. 329 00:14:07,805 --> 00:14:11,350 Dr. Haver, what you're saying is that literally 330 00:14:11,350 --> 00:14:13,186 when you stop producing as many eggs, 331 00:14:13,186 --> 00:14:15,271 that is the onset of... 332 00:14:15,271 --> 00:14:17,315 Perimenopause. We start out with a lot. 333 00:14:17,315 --> 00:14:20,109 And then we have this process called atresia, 334 00:14:20,109 --> 00:14:22,779 where it's a survival of the fittest for the healthiest eggs. 335 00:14:22,779 --> 00:14:25,448 And then we ovulate and we lose a bunch more in that process. 336 00:14:25,448 --> 00:14:29,786 So perimenopause begins when we reach critical low threshold. 337 00:14:29,786 --> 00:14:31,704 So the signals coming from the brain, 338 00:14:31,704 --> 00:14:33,748 the ovaries become resistant. 339 00:14:33,748 --> 00:14:36,334 So the brain has to really work harder and harder and harder. 340 00:14:36,334 --> 00:14:38,669 And that's when we see the mental health challenges, 341 00:14:38,669 --> 00:14:40,296 the cognition changes, 342 00:14:40,296 --> 00:14:42,465 well before your period stops. Oh! 343 00:14:42,465 --> 00:14:44,133 Well before. Mm-hmm. 344 00:14:44,133 --> 00:14:46,469 Okay, so we heard you explain 345 00:14:46,469 --> 00:14:49,639 why you call perimenopause the zone of chaos. 346 00:14:49,639 --> 00:14:54,727 And what does that chaos actually do to our bodies? 347 00:14:54,727 --> 00:14:57,522 So the brain likes to know what's coming 348 00:14:57,522 --> 00:14:59,315 and in a regular and orderly fashion. 349 00:14:59,315 --> 00:15:01,400 We work better as humans that way. 350 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,028 And when the hormones start fluctuating wildly, 351 00:15:04,028 --> 00:15:06,155 we see neurotransmitters change, 352 00:15:06,155 --> 00:15:08,741 like dopamine and norepinephrine and serotonin. 353 00:15:08,741 --> 00:15:12,703 And that's where we see about a 40% increase 354 00:15:12,703 --> 00:15:15,081 in mental health changes across the menopause transition, 355 00:15:15,081 --> 00:15:18,835 so through perimenopause, and we also see the brain fog, 356 00:15:18,835 --> 00:15:20,586 the cognition changes, 357 00:15:20,586 --> 00:15:23,339 and what we're now calling the new onset of ADHD, as well. 358 00:15:23,339 --> 00:15:28,594 Wow. It affects every cell in your body. 359 00:15:28,594 --> 00:15:31,305 You list over 60 symptoms in "The New Menopause." 360 00:15:31,305 --> 00:15:35,184 That's why -- We're not going to get to all 60 here in this hour. 361 00:15:35,184 --> 00:15:37,145 But I think what's really important is 362 00:15:37,145 --> 00:15:38,813 for women to -- to know... Right. 363 00:15:38,813 --> 00:15:40,940 ...information is now available. Is power. 364 00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:43,109 Yes. And information is power. 365 00:15:43,109 --> 00:15:44,485 Yeah. Okay. 366 00:15:44,485 --> 00:15:47,446 Is -- Is what happened to Halle common? 367 00:15:47,446 --> 00:15:51,826 So when I was in residency, a four-year ob-gyn residency, 368 00:15:51,826 --> 00:15:53,786 we had six hours total 369 00:15:53,786 --> 00:15:56,497 in my entire curriculum in menopause training. 370 00:15:56,497 --> 00:15:59,125 So it's not the fault of the individual clinician. 371 00:15:59,125 --> 00:16:01,752 It's not their fault, but they actually don't know. 372 00:16:01,752 --> 00:16:06,048 I confess, and if any of my former patients are out here, 373 00:16:06,048 --> 00:16:08,259 I am so sorry, but I probably -- 374 00:16:08,259 --> 00:16:10,303 no, I was a terrible menopause doctor 375 00:16:10,303 --> 00:16:11,846 for most of my career. 376 00:16:11,846 --> 00:16:13,181 Until you went through it. 377 00:16:13,181 --> 00:16:15,391 And sadly, it took me going through it. 378 00:16:15,391 --> 00:16:17,393 Is it true that black women and women of color 379 00:16:17,393 --> 00:16:20,354 experience perimenopause earlier? 380 00:16:20,354 --> 00:16:22,481 Yeah, average age of menopause is 51. 381 00:16:22,481 --> 00:16:24,650 That's for women who look like me. 382 00:16:24,650 --> 00:16:27,987 For women of color, it is about 18 months sooner, 383 00:16:27,987 --> 00:16:30,364 and we have about a 10-year window of what's normal. 384 00:16:30,364 --> 00:16:32,450 Yeah. But we're not taught that. 385 00:16:32,450 --> 00:16:34,493 Wow. You know, it was like 51. 386 00:16:34,493 --> 00:16:36,913 And I remember going through menopause at 48 387 00:16:36,913 --> 00:16:39,999 and thinking, "It's too soon. I'm too young." 388 00:16:39,999 --> 00:16:41,959 Well, Sara is here. Yeah. 389 00:16:41,959 --> 00:16:45,129 And I hear that you started symptoms what, at 39? 390 00:16:45,129 --> 00:16:46,839 And you're 43 now. Yes. 391 00:16:46,839 --> 00:16:48,466 So I started experiencing symptoms 392 00:16:48,466 --> 00:16:52,345 like rapid weight gain, sleepless nights. 393 00:16:52,345 --> 00:16:54,639 And so part of it was that I couldn't figure out why, 394 00:16:54,639 --> 00:16:55,848 because I'm Hispanic 395 00:16:55,848 --> 00:16:57,391 and basically was getting misdiagnosed. 396 00:16:57,391 --> 00:17:00,102 So how do we speak up as women to advocate for ourselves 397 00:17:00,102 --> 00:17:03,522 when we -- there isn't much research for women like myself? 398 00:17:03,522 --> 00:17:06,692 So educate yourself as much as possible. 399 00:17:06,692 --> 00:17:08,694 It is six to eight average visits 400 00:17:08,694 --> 00:17:11,781 before the menopause is actually diagnosed for most patients 401 00:17:11,781 --> 00:17:13,282 when you look at the data. 402 00:17:13,282 --> 00:17:14,825 So it's not reasonable to walk into 403 00:17:14,825 --> 00:17:17,203 your amazing ob-gyn's office 404 00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:19,080 who delivered your babies and did great care 405 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,582 and expect for them to have been taught. 406 00:17:21,582 --> 00:17:23,876 I had to step outside of my training, outside of the box. 407 00:17:23,876 --> 00:17:26,545 So The Menopause Society, menopause.org, 408 00:17:26,545 --> 00:17:28,673 has a great list of providers. 409 00:17:28,673 --> 00:17:31,592 There's wonderful new education community platforms like Respin 410 00:17:31,592 --> 00:17:35,096 that are being formed that are just going to be sources 411 00:17:35,096 --> 00:17:36,722 for you to advocate, 412 00:17:36,722 --> 00:17:38,307 but you're going to have to do some legwork 413 00:17:38,307 --> 00:17:40,685 and be the CEO of your own healthcare. 414 00:17:40,685 --> 00:17:42,812 Yeah, what'd you want to say? 415 00:17:42,812 --> 00:17:44,981 I think as women, you know, 416 00:17:44,981 --> 00:17:48,025 we don't think that we have the right to switch our doctor. 417 00:17:48,025 --> 00:17:50,111 So we stay stuck and we stay with doctors 418 00:17:50,111 --> 00:17:52,071 and we accept subpar care. 419 00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:53,572 All of our doctors should understand 420 00:17:53,572 --> 00:17:54,991 what's going on with our body, 421 00:17:54,991 --> 00:17:56,659 and when they don't, we have the right to say, 422 00:17:56,659 --> 00:17:58,578 "Okay, thank you very much, but I'm going to move on 423 00:17:58,578 --> 00:18:01,706 and find someone who can give me the care that I deserve." 424 00:18:01,706 --> 00:18:04,500 We have to stand up for ourselves. 425 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:05,751 Kamili is here. 426 00:18:05,751 --> 00:18:07,420 I hear you started an online community 427 00:18:07,420 --> 00:18:08,754 for women of color in menopause. 428 00:18:08,754 --> 00:18:09,755 What's your experience? 429 00:18:09,755 --> 00:18:11,674 Yeah, so I'm 51 now, 430 00:18:11,674 --> 00:18:15,678 and I started experiencing my first symptoms around 43. 431 00:18:15,678 --> 00:18:19,140 And I'm actually having a hot flash right now in real time. 432 00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:21,100 And I was pretty frustrated 433 00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:24,145 'cause I'd had a decades-long relationship with an ob-gyn, 434 00:18:24,145 --> 00:18:27,148 and I had never, ever heard the word "perimenopause." 435 00:18:27,148 --> 00:18:30,651 So, in true Gen X fashion, sent me to Google. 436 00:18:30,651 --> 00:18:34,030 And I wasn't seeing any images or stories that looked like me. 437 00:18:34,030 --> 00:18:35,990 So to your point around 438 00:18:35,990 --> 00:18:38,701 how women of color experience menopause differently, 439 00:18:38,701 --> 00:18:41,537 it's been eight years that I've been in perimenopause. 440 00:18:41,537 --> 00:18:43,622 Longer sufferings. Yeah, you suffer longer. 441 00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:46,626 Yeah, hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, rage, 442 00:18:46,626 --> 00:18:48,210 which was pretty bad. 443 00:18:48,210 --> 00:18:50,004 And I wanted to help other women. 444 00:18:50,004 --> 00:18:52,214 And so I started blogging about my experience 445 00:18:52,214 --> 00:18:55,634 and really emphasize the stories and experiences 446 00:18:55,634 --> 00:18:58,387 of women of color who are going through menopause transition. 447 00:18:58,387 --> 00:19:00,264 Oprah: Thank you. Thank you, Kamili. 448 00:19:00,264 --> 00:19:02,933 So let's talk about all the confusion 449 00:19:02,933 --> 00:19:08,439 around hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. 450 00:19:08,439 --> 00:19:10,107 The Women's Health Initiative 451 00:19:10,107 --> 00:19:14,111 conducted a landmark clinical trial of estrogen and progestin, 452 00:19:14,111 --> 00:19:17,406 also called HRT. 453 00:19:17,406 --> 00:19:20,326 In 2002, researchers held a press conference 454 00:19:20,326 --> 00:19:22,370 to announce they were halting the study 455 00:19:22,370 --> 00:19:24,413 because they believed hormone therapy 456 00:19:24,413 --> 00:19:26,916 could increase a woman's chances of getting breast cancer, 457 00:19:26,916 --> 00:19:30,127 as well as cardiac events, strokes, and clots. 458 00:19:30,127 --> 00:19:33,047 We got a 26% increase in breast cancer, 459 00:19:33,047 --> 00:19:34,507 and that's why we stopped the trial. 460 00:19:34,507 --> 00:19:37,218 Oprah: The 26% increase in breast cancer risk 461 00:19:37,218 --> 00:19:38,719 was misleading, 462 00:19:38,719 --> 00:19:41,055 creating confusing headlines, 463 00:19:41,055 --> 00:19:45,851 leaving doctors uninformed and panicking their patients. 464 00:19:45,851 --> 00:19:49,688 Rates of women taking HRT plummeted. 465 00:19:49,688 --> 00:19:52,274 The increased risk of breast cancer from the study 466 00:19:52,274 --> 00:19:55,152 was overblown and turned out to actually be 467 00:19:55,152 --> 00:19:58,739 less than a tenth of 1% per year, 468 00:19:58,739 --> 00:20:01,325 a very slight risk. 469 00:20:01,325 --> 00:20:05,162 In a years-long follow-up study published in 2024, 470 00:20:05,162 --> 00:20:07,331 The Journal of the American Medical Association found 471 00:20:07,331 --> 00:20:09,750 that HRT is effective 472 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:12,795 for treating moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. 473 00:20:12,795 --> 00:20:16,006 The findings support that the benefits of the drugs 474 00:20:16,006 --> 00:20:20,386 outweigh the risks for most women under the age of 60. 475 00:20:20,386 --> 00:20:23,639 So the bottom line is, the study happened. 476 00:20:23,639 --> 00:20:25,099 They talked about the risk. 477 00:20:25,099 --> 00:20:27,893 They underemphasized the safety, overemphasized the risk, 478 00:20:27,893 --> 00:20:29,728 made this big, splashy news story. 479 00:20:29,728 --> 00:20:31,230 And then when they walked it back, 480 00:20:31,230 --> 00:20:33,524 nobody actually paid attention to that. 481 00:20:33,524 --> 00:20:35,860 Yes, so now the message everybody has gotten is -- 482 00:20:35,860 --> 00:20:38,112 It still has. Somehow HRT, 483 00:20:38,112 --> 00:20:41,198 the natural estrogen that your ovaries made, 484 00:20:41,198 --> 00:20:42,616 is somehow going to try to kill you. 485 00:20:42,616 --> 00:20:44,493 Yeah. And it turns out it's not true. 486 00:20:44,493 --> 00:20:46,078 It's incredibly protective 487 00:20:46,078 --> 00:20:48,372 of multiple organ systems in the body. 488 00:20:48,372 --> 00:20:50,416 But is estrogen safe for every woman? 489 00:20:50,416 --> 00:20:52,126 The vast majority of women, it is safe. 490 00:20:52,126 --> 00:20:53,627 Yeah, but I think every woman 491 00:20:53,627 --> 00:20:56,297 needs to do your own research for yourself. 492 00:20:56,297 --> 00:20:57,715 Okay, when we come back, 493 00:20:57,715 --> 00:21:00,593 we have superstar actress, the daring Naomi Watts, 494 00:21:00,593 --> 00:21:04,472 whose menopause symptoms started when she was 36, 495 00:21:04,472 --> 00:21:06,223 right when she wanted to start a family. 496 00:21:06,223 --> 00:21:07,141 We'll be right back. 497 00:21:11,395 --> 00:21:14,023 But my husband and I met, and I was so cute. 498 00:21:14,023 --> 00:21:16,066 And I was little. I had on little britches. 499 00:21:16,066 --> 00:21:21,739 And my thyroid was functioning, and I felt good. 500 00:21:21,739 --> 00:21:25,075 And he was so enthralled with me and so in love with me 501 00:21:25,075 --> 00:21:27,411 and pursued me and bought me presents 502 00:21:27,411 --> 00:21:30,247 and -- and vacuumed out my car 503 00:21:30,247 --> 00:21:33,083 and did all kinds of things for me. 504 00:21:33,083 --> 00:21:36,879 And we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this year. 505 00:21:36,879 --> 00:21:37,630 [ Cheers and applause ] 506 00:21:37,630 --> 00:21:39,006 Thank y'all. 507 00:21:40,925 --> 00:21:42,760 Thank y'all. 508 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:44,887 And now I truly believe 509 00:21:44,887 --> 00:21:47,431 he would not pull me out of a burning vehicle. 510 00:21:47,431 --> 00:21:48,557 [ Laughter ] 511 00:21:48,557 --> 00:21:50,100 [ Applause ] 512 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:52,561 That's Leanne Morgan 513 00:21:52,561 --> 00:21:55,481 from her hilarious special, "I'm Every Woman." 514 00:21:55,481 --> 00:21:58,275 Leanne, I hear Dr. Haver actually helped you 515 00:21:58,275 --> 00:22:02,571 improve intimacy with Chuck, your husband. 516 00:22:02,571 --> 00:22:04,281 Leanne: Yes. That little thing, 517 00:22:04,281 --> 00:22:06,867 I bet she's going to regret that I have her phone number, 518 00:22:06,867 --> 00:22:10,162 because I'll say, "What about testosterone? 519 00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:11,747 Do you think I ought to get a pellet?" 520 00:22:11,747 --> 00:22:13,499 'Cause all these women are on pellets, 521 00:22:13,499 --> 00:22:15,584 and then they wear their little husbands out. 522 00:22:15,584 --> 00:22:17,336 [ Laughter ] 523 00:22:17,336 --> 00:22:19,505 And I know women that are on testosterone pellets 524 00:22:19,505 --> 00:22:21,048 and they're on fire, 525 00:22:21,048 --> 00:22:25,135 and then their little husbands look weak and pitiful. 526 00:22:25,135 --> 00:22:27,179 So if you go to your doctor, 527 00:22:27,179 --> 00:22:28,681 how do you know if you need testosterone? 528 00:22:28,681 --> 00:22:31,475 So we recommend testosterone for the treatment 529 00:22:31,475 --> 00:22:34,186 of hypoactive sexual desire disorder, 530 00:22:34,186 --> 00:22:36,355 or what a layperson would call low libido. 531 00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:39,316 Okay. If you want to do it more. 532 00:22:39,316 --> 00:22:42,027 If you want to want to do it more. 533 00:22:42,027 --> 00:22:46,240 If you want to want to do it more, you need testosterone. 534 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:48,075 It's helpful. Okay. 535 00:22:48,075 --> 00:22:49,994 Alright. Testosterone. 536 00:22:49,994 --> 00:22:52,037 Very good. Thank you, Leanne. 537 00:22:52,037 --> 00:22:54,582 The lovely and talented Naomi Watts is daring 538 00:22:54,582 --> 00:22:57,126 to share her own menopause journey with us tonight. 539 00:22:57,126 --> 00:22:58,252 Watch this. 540 00:23:03,299 --> 00:23:05,134 No! 541 00:23:05,134 --> 00:23:06,760 I said no! 542 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,806 Naomi Watts has been a star for more than two decades. 543 00:23:10,806 --> 00:23:14,977 She's a Golden Globe, Emmy, and two-time Oscar nominee. 544 00:23:16,854 --> 00:23:21,567 It is no surprise this fierce mother shines in her latest role 545 00:23:21,567 --> 00:23:23,527 as a pioneer in the movement 546 00:23:23,527 --> 00:23:27,323 to help demystify the stigma of menopause. 547 00:23:27,323 --> 00:23:29,742 In her widely anticipated new book, 548 00:23:29,742 --> 00:23:33,245 "Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause," 549 00:23:33,245 --> 00:23:35,748 Naomi writes about the confusion she felt 550 00:23:35,748 --> 00:23:38,334 at the onset of menopause symptoms. 551 00:23:38,334 --> 00:23:41,295 Let's share the wisdom and let's share the conversation 552 00:23:41,295 --> 00:23:43,839 and throw the ladders down to the younger generation 553 00:23:43,839 --> 00:23:45,674 so they can be better equipped. 554 00:23:45,674 --> 00:23:47,051 [ Applause ] 555 00:23:47,051 --> 00:23:50,012 Welcome, Naomi Watts. 556 00:23:50,012 --> 00:23:51,639 Your book "Dare I Say It: 557 00:23:51,639 --> 00:23:54,058 Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause" -- 558 00:23:54,058 --> 00:23:55,684 New York Times best seller. 559 00:23:55,684 --> 00:23:58,729 Congratulations to you. Thank you. 560 00:23:58,729 --> 00:24:00,189 You posted this... 561 00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:09,365 Yeah, yeah. Wow. 562 00:24:09,365 --> 00:24:10,866 What was your experience? 563 00:24:10,866 --> 00:24:12,993 Well, at 36, 564 00:24:12,993 --> 00:24:16,664 when I was trying to start a family and not getting pregnant, 565 00:24:16,664 --> 00:24:19,124 I asked my doctor what was going on. 566 00:24:19,124 --> 00:24:21,794 He took some blood work, and the results came back 567 00:24:21,794 --> 00:24:25,923 and suggested that I was "close to menopause." 568 00:24:25,923 --> 00:24:28,175 And, of course, I was shocked. 569 00:24:28,175 --> 00:24:30,302 You actually -- You wrote in, "Dare I Say It," 570 00:24:30,302 --> 00:24:32,346 you wrote you were more than shocked. 571 00:24:32,346 --> 00:24:34,014 You cried. You felt shame. Yes. 572 00:24:34,014 --> 00:24:35,432 You felt all these -- I was filled with panic 573 00:24:35,432 --> 00:24:37,226 and loneliness and shame, 574 00:24:37,226 --> 00:24:39,520 and, you know, and I called my mom. 575 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,230 That was the first call straightaway. 576 00:24:41,230 --> 00:24:42,690 I said, "Why didn't you tell me more?" 577 00:24:42,690 --> 00:24:44,650 And she said, "Well, these are the conversations 578 00:24:44,650 --> 00:24:47,695 I never had with you because my mother never had them with me." 579 00:24:47,695 --> 00:24:50,280 Mm-hmm, and you actually wrote a chapter on shame 580 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,492 because you said you grappled with, you know, self-worth. 581 00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:55,494 Why did you think menopause 582 00:24:55,494 --> 00:24:57,413 affected your sense of self-worth? 583 00:24:57,413 --> 00:25:01,375 Well, because it's this branding that it's all over... 584 00:25:01,375 --> 00:25:04,128 Oh, okay. ...that once your reproductive, you know, organs 585 00:25:04,128 --> 00:25:08,215 are no longer in use or working in the way that they started to, 586 00:25:08,215 --> 00:25:09,675 that -- that's it. 587 00:25:09,675 --> 00:25:11,135 That is the end. 588 00:25:11,135 --> 00:25:12,386 Go to the corner, pull out the knitting needles. 589 00:25:12,386 --> 00:25:13,721 That you're not really -- [ Laughter ] 590 00:25:13,721 --> 00:25:16,849 Yeah, pull them out. Yeah, and rock the chair. 591 00:25:16,849 --> 00:25:19,143 Yes. You know, like, no, thank you. 592 00:25:19,143 --> 00:25:22,354 Your husband is a Emmy-winning actor. 593 00:25:22,354 --> 00:25:24,898 And in the book, you share a story 594 00:25:24,898 --> 00:25:27,985 about the first time you all were gonna go to bed together. 595 00:25:27,985 --> 00:25:30,446 And you shared it in the book, so share it with us here, 596 00:25:30,446 --> 00:25:31,530 if you don't mind. 597 00:25:31,530 --> 00:25:33,741 Poor Billy. 598 00:25:33,741 --> 00:25:35,909 Yes, it was a moment. 599 00:25:35,909 --> 00:25:38,287 I was -- We were getting down to business, 600 00:25:38,287 --> 00:25:39,997 and I had to excuse myself. 601 00:25:39,997 --> 00:25:42,583 I remembered that I had my estrogen patch on, 602 00:25:42,583 --> 00:25:45,419 and if anyone has worn one or knows anything about them, 603 00:25:45,419 --> 00:25:49,048 they leave a very sticky, nasty mess, and -- 604 00:25:49,048 --> 00:25:52,259 Where do you wear them? Right here, in the groin. 605 00:25:52,259 --> 00:25:55,345 Right where you're going to -- Oh. Okay, okay. 606 00:25:55,345 --> 00:25:56,847 You can't miss it. 607 00:25:56,847 --> 00:26:00,184 So I slip out and say, "Just excuse me for a second," 608 00:26:00,184 --> 00:26:02,686 to, you know, get it off. You're gonna pull the patch off. 609 00:26:02,686 --> 00:26:04,313 Why did you want to pull the patch off? 610 00:26:04,313 --> 00:26:05,939 Because I didn't want it to be seen. 611 00:26:05,939 --> 00:26:08,358 Because that would announce the fact that I was in menopause 612 00:26:08,358 --> 00:26:11,528 and thinking, this is going to be so unsexy 613 00:26:11,528 --> 00:26:13,405 and turn him off in a second. 614 00:26:13,405 --> 00:26:15,491 Yeah, 'cause he's got to say, "Excuse me. 615 00:26:15,491 --> 00:26:17,534 What's that patch?" Yeah, yeah, yeah. 616 00:26:17,534 --> 00:26:21,455 And, you know, who knows what he knew about menopause? 617 00:26:21,455 --> 00:26:25,042 So I slipped away, came out sort of frantic 618 00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:27,169 after having scratched and scratched 619 00:26:27,169 --> 00:26:30,130 and left a horrible red, nasty mark. 620 00:26:30,130 --> 00:26:32,925 So I came out, and he saw that I was flustered. 621 00:26:32,925 --> 00:26:34,468 and he said, "Are you okay? 622 00:26:34,468 --> 00:26:36,970 Are you not in the mood?" And I said, "No, no. 623 00:26:36,970 --> 00:26:40,390 It's just, well, you know, I -- God, menopause. 624 00:26:40,390 --> 00:26:42,559 I'm in menopause, I'm getting treatment. 625 00:26:42,559 --> 00:26:44,186 I have to wear these patches." 626 00:26:44,186 --> 00:26:46,897 And I said, "I'm in menopause and I'm old, 627 00:26:46,897 --> 00:26:49,149 and should I just leave? 628 00:26:49,149 --> 00:26:50,984 'Cause you probably don't want me." 629 00:26:50,984 --> 00:26:53,112 You know, like, who knows what they're thinking? 630 00:26:53,112 --> 00:26:55,614 And he was like, "Hey, 631 00:26:55,614 --> 00:26:58,450 this is -- this is good news that you're getting treatment. 632 00:26:58,450 --> 00:27:00,160 Thank you for telling me. 633 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,039 And, by the way, we're both old." 634 00:27:04,039 --> 00:27:06,708 And there's one other line in the book 635 00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:08,126 which I'll save for the reader. 636 00:27:08,126 --> 00:27:10,879 Or you can tell it. [ Laughs ] 637 00:27:10,879 --> 00:27:12,756 He had gray hairs on his... 638 00:27:12,756 --> 00:27:14,758 [ Laughter, applause ] 639 00:27:17,928 --> 00:27:20,180 He said it. He said -- 640 00:27:20,180 --> 00:27:23,225 Billy, forgive me. It's in the book. 641 00:27:23,225 --> 00:27:25,769 He said, "I have gray hairs on my..." 642 00:27:25,769 --> 00:27:27,437 And you said... 643 00:27:27,437 --> 00:27:30,858 "That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard." 644 00:27:30,858 --> 00:27:32,651 I know! "And thank you 645 00:27:32,651 --> 00:27:36,029 for your compassion and empathy." 646 00:27:36,029 --> 00:27:38,282 And that was the beginning. 647 00:27:38,282 --> 00:27:39,992 And, you know, seven years later, we're married. 648 00:27:39,992 --> 00:27:41,869 I think that that is the beginning of true intimacy. 649 00:27:41,869 --> 00:27:42,911 That's it. Yes, yes. 650 00:27:42,911 --> 00:27:44,663 It really is. Yes, yes. 651 00:27:44,663 --> 00:27:47,457 So you also created something called Stripes Beauty. 652 00:27:47,457 --> 00:27:48,792 Yeah. Tell us what that is. 653 00:27:48,792 --> 00:27:50,127 I called it Stripes 654 00:27:50,127 --> 00:27:52,588 because we've earned our stripes, ladies. 655 00:27:52,588 --> 00:27:57,050 We should feel good about ourselves at this point in time. 656 00:27:57,050 --> 00:28:00,470 We provide education, community. 657 00:28:00,470 --> 00:28:04,057 We've got hair products, body products, vaginal products. 658 00:28:04,057 --> 00:28:06,518 Everything you need. Yes, all that you need. 659 00:28:06,518 --> 00:28:07,978 Okay. Did you all know this? 660 00:28:07,978 --> 00:28:11,982 Two out of three Alzheimer's patients are women. 661 00:28:11,982 --> 00:28:14,109 That's a sobering statistic. 662 00:28:14,109 --> 00:28:15,861 Think about that -- two out of three. 663 00:28:15,861 --> 00:28:19,072 Is menopause connected to our brain health? 664 00:28:19,072 --> 00:28:21,783 We talk about that next with Maria Shriver. 665 00:28:26,246 --> 00:28:30,000 Oprah: Dr. Pelin Batur is a top women's health specialist... 666 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,710 Nice to see you. You too. 667 00:28:31,710 --> 00:28:33,128 ...at the Cleveland Clinic. 668 00:28:33,128 --> 00:28:34,838 Talk to me. How can I help? 669 00:28:34,838 --> 00:28:36,298 Uh, about a year ago, 670 00:28:36,298 --> 00:28:40,177 I started experiencing hot flashes, fatigue. 671 00:28:40,177 --> 00:28:42,554 Everything just hurts all the time. 672 00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:44,556 Dr. Batur: There are 6,000 women 673 00:28:44,556 --> 00:28:48,226 going into menopause each day in the United States. 674 00:28:48,226 --> 00:28:53,315 That equals about 63 million women in the U.S. 675 00:28:53,315 --> 00:28:55,484 Oprah: In response to this overwhelming demand, 676 00:28:55,484 --> 00:28:57,694 Cleveland Clinic launched 677 00:28:57,694 --> 00:29:00,405 the Women's Comprehensive Health and Research Center, 678 00:29:00,405 --> 00:29:02,407 an innovative and holistic program 679 00:29:02,407 --> 00:29:05,118 that reimagines healthcare for women. 680 00:29:05,118 --> 00:29:08,413 Menopause impacts so many cells in our body, 681 00:29:08,413 --> 00:29:10,624 and everybody's experience is so unique, 682 00:29:10,624 --> 00:29:14,002 so people are really at a loss for who to go to. 683 00:29:14,002 --> 00:29:15,671 About half of American women 684 00:29:15,671 --> 00:29:18,090 are not happy with their sex life in some regard, 685 00:29:18,090 --> 00:29:19,925 so please speak up. 686 00:29:19,925 --> 00:29:22,260 There are vaginal hormones available, 687 00:29:22,260 --> 00:29:24,888 including a vaginal ring, for example, 688 00:29:24,888 --> 00:29:26,431 that you leave in for three months. 689 00:29:26,431 --> 00:29:28,350 Just gives a tiny dose of estrogen. 690 00:29:28,350 --> 00:29:30,727 We have non-hormonal treatment options, too. 691 00:29:30,727 --> 00:29:33,438 We have a daily medication that can be taken. 692 00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:37,609 We have injectables that can be used. 693 00:29:37,609 --> 00:29:40,112 Oprah: The center's chief visionary and strategic adviser 694 00:29:40,112 --> 00:29:42,823 is women's health and Alzheimer's prevention advocate 695 00:29:42,823 --> 00:29:44,491 Maria Shriver. 696 00:29:44,491 --> 00:29:47,828 Shriver: You must be determined when it comes to your health. 697 00:29:47,828 --> 00:29:49,538 You must be a fighter. 698 00:29:49,538 --> 00:29:52,207 You must fight for what you deserve, 699 00:29:52,207 --> 00:29:56,753 and you must see yourself as a loyal partner with your doctor. 700 00:29:56,753 --> 00:29:59,673 Maria Shriver is here, my friend. 701 00:29:59,673 --> 00:30:01,299 And I'm so proud of you, 702 00:30:01,299 --> 00:30:03,385 because you helped co-found that whole clinic. 703 00:30:03,385 --> 00:30:05,595 I know you work for years to make that happen. 704 00:30:05,595 --> 00:30:07,639 Yeah, that's a revolutionary center. 705 00:30:07,639 --> 00:30:10,100 And I'm hopeful that these kind of centers 706 00:30:10,100 --> 00:30:12,477 will begin popping up all across this country, 707 00:30:12,477 --> 00:30:14,604 because we need to be revolutionaries 708 00:30:14,604 --> 00:30:16,690 when it comes to women's health in general 709 00:30:16,690 --> 00:30:19,151 at every decade of our lives. 710 00:30:19,151 --> 00:30:21,194 Absolutely. You know, Maria and I have been saying for years, 711 00:30:21,194 --> 00:30:22,988 you cannot outrun, outfox, 712 00:30:22,988 --> 00:30:26,199 out-yoga, out-meditate menopause. 713 00:30:26,199 --> 00:30:28,827 It's coming for you no matter what. 714 00:30:28,827 --> 00:30:30,912 So what do you want to say about this moment now 715 00:30:30,912 --> 00:30:32,372 for women in menopause? 716 00:30:32,372 --> 00:30:34,374 Well, I want to say to women, first of all, 717 00:30:34,374 --> 00:30:36,334 that it's a blessing, because it means 718 00:30:36,334 --> 00:30:39,504 you've lived long enough to actually go through it. 719 00:30:39,504 --> 00:30:42,299 Can we just emphasize that more? 720 00:30:42,299 --> 00:30:44,301 Because I think when women deny their age 721 00:30:44,301 --> 00:30:45,719 and lie about their age and -- 722 00:30:45,719 --> 00:30:48,680 you are denying time spent here on Earth 723 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:50,265 and everything that you've learned 724 00:30:50,265 --> 00:30:51,475 and everything that you've gained. 725 00:30:51,475 --> 00:30:52,934 Well, it's understandable, 726 00:30:52,934 --> 00:30:55,437 'cause we need a radical reshift about women's aging. 727 00:30:55,437 --> 00:30:56,855 Yes. Right? In this culture, 728 00:30:56,855 --> 00:30:58,273 because women aren't valued. 729 00:30:58,273 --> 00:30:59,983 They aren't seen. They feel invisible. 730 00:30:59,983 --> 00:31:03,278 They feel that when it comes to their healthcare. 731 00:31:03,278 --> 00:31:06,281 Yeah. And this is a moment not just for menopause. 732 00:31:06,281 --> 00:31:08,283 That's great, but it's for Alzheimer's. 733 00:31:08,283 --> 00:31:10,619 It's for osteoporosis, for endometriosis. 734 00:31:10,619 --> 00:31:11,870 It's for aging. 735 00:31:11,870 --> 00:31:14,164 It's for all of these diseases 736 00:31:14,164 --> 00:31:16,041 that disproportionately impact women. 737 00:31:16,041 --> 00:31:17,876 I love what Halle was saying earlier, too, 738 00:31:17,876 --> 00:31:20,587 about this will be a different story for her daughter. 739 00:31:20,587 --> 00:31:22,130 She knew absolutely nothing, 740 00:31:22,130 --> 00:31:24,174 but it will be a different story for her daughter. 741 00:31:24,174 --> 00:31:27,135 I know you have two beautiful daughters, now in their 30s. 742 00:31:27,135 --> 00:31:29,221 Yes. Are you all having conversations about it already? 743 00:31:29,221 --> 00:31:30,430 They're like, "Stop, please. 744 00:31:30,430 --> 00:31:32,015 Could you please stop?" 745 00:31:32,015 --> 00:31:33,642 I'm talking to my sons. 746 00:31:33,642 --> 00:31:35,560 And they're like, "I don't want to know any of this." 747 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,146 I said, "Yes, you do." And to my brothers. 748 00:31:38,146 --> 00:31:39,481 I talk about it to everybody, 749 00:31:39,481 --> 00:31:42,651 because my mother never said a word to me about anything. 750 00:31:42,651 --> 00:31:44,861 What we're now finding out is that women 751 00:31:44,861 --> 00:31:48,031 didn't connect the dots between their brain and their vagina. 752 00:31:48,031 --> 00:31:49,241 No, we didn't. They did not. 753 00:31:49,241 --> 00:31:50,992 And people don't make the connection 754 00:31:50,992 --> 00:31:52,869 between their brain and their body at all. 755 00:31:52,869 --> 00:31:54,246 And that is my work. 756 00:31:54,246 --> 00:31:55,997 So when I discovered that women 757 00:31:55,997 --> 00:31:57,958 were at the front and center of Alzheimer's, 758 00:31:57,958 --> 00:31:59,626 I started the Women's Alzheimer's Movement 759 00:31:59,626 --> 00:32:02,212 to fund research into women's brains, 760 00:32:02,212 --> 00:32:05,173 because nobody was looking at women's brains. 761 00:32:05,173 --> 00:32:07,676 They thought Alzheimer's was something that just happened. 762 00:32:07,676 --> 00:32:11,429 So we have funded research to be able to view 763 00:32:11,429 --> 00:32:14,599 what actually happens, how it changes, 764 00:32:14,599 --> 00:32:17,352 starting at perimenopause through menopause. 765 00:32:17,352 --> 00:32:18,854 We can now see that. 766 00:32:18,854 --> 00:32:21,773 Thank you. Thank you. 767 00:32:21,773 --> 00:32:24,860 Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl is a neurologist 768 00:32:24,860 --> 00:32:27,445 for the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Care Program. 769 00:32:27,445 --> 00:32:28,822 Welcome, Doctor. 770 00:32:28,822 --> 00:32:31,241 What happens in our brains during menopause? 771 00:32:31,241 --> 00:32:34,536 So our brains are affected by the loss of estrogen. 772 00:32:34,536 --> 00:32:40,083 Just like loss of estrogen's bad for skin, bone, vagina, 773 00:32:40,083 --> 00:32:41,751 lo and behold, it's bad for the brain. 774 00:32:41,751 --> 00:32:44,004 And by that, we hear about brain fog. 775 00:32:44,004 --> 00:32:45,422 Those are the clinical symptoms. 776 00:32:45,422 --> 00:32:47,757 They include not being able to think of a word. 777 00:32:47,757 --> 00:32:50,719 They include losing train of thought. 778 00:32:50,719 --> 00:32:53,013 There are these very discrete problems that occur. 779 00:32:53,013 --> 00:32:54,723 and they undermine confidence. 780 00:32:54,723 --> 00:32:56,516 Women get to this certain stage in their life. 781 00:32:56,516 --> 00:32:58,685 They're 50, they're at the top of the careers, 782 00:32:58,685 --> 00:33:00,812 and then they're undercut with confidence 783 00:33:00,812 --> 00:33:02,355 because they have these focal problems. 784 00:33:02,355 --> 00:33:05,317 What it's not is it's not decreased IQ. 785 00:33:05,317 --> 00:33:07,319 The women are just as smart as they ever were. 786 00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:09,446 It's also not just because they're not sleeping. 787 00:33:09,446 --> 00:33:11,323 I agree, sleep is very good for cognition. 788 00:33:11,323 --> 00:33:13,450 Not having it is bad. But it's more than that. 789 00:33:13,450 --> 00:33:14,576 Why is it more than that? 790 00:33:14,576 --> 00:33:16,661 Because we see it on neuroimaging. 791 00:33:16,661 --> 00:33:18,413 There are structural and functional changes in the brain 792 00:33:18,413 --> 00:33:20,332 that occur with menopause. 793 00:33:20,332 --> 00:33:22,000 So women who have been in menopause 794 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,044 for longer periods of time, over 10 years, 795 00:33:24,044 --> 00:33:26,546 versus shorter periods of time, less than five years, 796 00:33:26,546 --> 00:33:29,299 they have atrophy in areas of the brain. 797 00:33:29,299 --> 00:33:32,302 Bottom line is, atrophy of areas of the brain 798 00:33:32,302 --> 00:33:34,012 are more when they've gone through menopause 799 00:33:34,012 --> 00:33:35,764 for a long period of time. Wow. 800 00:33:35,764 --> 00:33:38,934 Now, what it's not -- it's not whole-brain atrophy. 801 00:33:38,934 --> 00:33:40,477 It's not global anything. 802 00:33:40,477 --> 00:33:42,437 And that's why it's all been missed, 803 00:33:42,437 --> 00:33:44,272 because it's cognitive domain-specific problems 804 00:33:44,272 --> 00:33:46,358 and it's regional brain problems. 805 00:33:46,358 --> 00:33:48,360 And this needs to be fixed. 806 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:53,281 Okay, and you say it's crucial to seek menopause treatment 807 00:33:53,281 --> 00:33:58,078 after the first hot flash or first symptom of menopause. 808 00:33:58,078 --> 00:34:00,247 Right? Absolutely correct. 809 00:34:00,247 --> 00:34:02,707 As is the case with any neurodegenerative disease, 810 00:34:02,707 --> 00:34:05,293 as a neurologist, I can tell you it's very difficult 811 00:34:05,293 --> 00:34:07,671 to let things happen and try to repair them. 812 00:34:07,671 --> 00:34:11,007 You've got to go in early, and perimenopause is a good point. 813 00:34:11,007 --> 00:34:12,884 Okay. Shriver: Yeah, the other thing that I think 814 00:34:12,884 --> 00:34:14,261 is something we should talk about 815 00:34:14,261 --> 00:34:16,012 is that at the same time 816 00:34:16,012 --> 00:34:18,098 that women are going through perimenopause, 817 00:34:18,098 --> 00:34:20,100 they're dealing with a lot of other things 818 00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:21,351 that are on their plate. 819 00:34:21,351 --> 00:34:23,478 They're caregiving for parents. 820 00:34:23,478 --> 00:34:26,273 They're raising children. They're working full time. 821 00:34:26,273 --> 00:34:29,526 And so they may mistake what they're going through 822 00:34:29,526 --> 00:34:31,945 in their life for depression. 823 00:34:31,945 --> 00:34:35,573 And so doctors need to begin to ask them questions. 824 00:34:35,573 --> 00:34:38,702 Is it perimenopause? Is it menopause? 825 00:34:38,702 --> 00:34:41,579 What is actually going on that you're dealing with? 826 00:34:45,041 --> 00:34:47,043 Listen to this -- According to a Mayo Clinic study, 827 00:34:47,043 --> 00:34:48,586 menopause costs American women 828 00:34:48,586 --> 00:34:52,507 almost $2 billion in lost working time a year. 829 00:34:52,507 --> 00:34:54,134 Keta is here. 830 00:34:54,134 --> 00:34:56,177 What's your question for Dr. Voskuhl? 831 00:34:56,177 --> 00:34:59,639 Well, I've been a litigation attorney for years. 832 00:34:59,639 --> 00:35:01,474 And, of course, in that role, 833 00:35:01,474 --> 00:35:03,018 I have to be able to think on my feet 834 00:35:03,018 --> 00:35:05,186 during arbitrations and trials. 835 00:35:05,186 --> 00:35:08,023 But I started experiencing symptoms 836 00:35:08,023 --> 00:35:12,777 that included brain fog, lowered ability to tolerate stress, 837 00:35:12,777 --> 00:35:15,488 and that's devastating for a litigation attorney. 838 00:35:15,488 --> 00:35:16,990 My question for you -- 839 00:35:16,990 --> 00:35:21,161 Will I ever get back to where I was before 840 00:35:21,161 --> 00:35:24,247 when this is over, perimenopause, when it's over? 841 00:35:24,247 --> 00:35:26,124 Well, thank you for the question. 842 00:35:26,124 --> 00:35:27,792 I see so many women like you. 843 00:35:27,792 --> 00:35:30,378 They're lawyers. They're teachers. 844 00:35:30,378 --> 00:35:32,213 They basically have to be able to speak. 845 00:35:32,213 --> 00:35:33,465 They can't lose their train of thought 846 00:35:33,465 --> 00:35:35,550 in the middle of a sentence, and will it get better? 847 00:35:35,550 --> 00:35:37,010 I'll tell you, the hot flashes will go away 848 00:35:37,010 --> 00:35:38,470 in three to five years. 849 00:35:38,470 --> 00:35:40,388 But these cognitive changes, these structural changes 850 00:35:40,388 --> 00:35:42,432 in the brains don't suddenly get better. 851 00:35:42,432 --> 00:35:45,185 So what can be done is to, first of all, get on it early. 852 00:35:45,185 --> 00:35:47,562 But the second thing is the cognitive exercise 853 00:35:47,562 --> 00:35:49,314 and the physical exercise is very important. 854 00:35:49,314 --> 00:35:51,232 I will say, though, as Oprah said, 855 00:35:51,232 --> 00:35:52,817 we can't exercise our way out of this. 856 00:35:52,817 --> 00:35:54,069 They say, "Oh, just go exercise more." 857 00:35:54,069 --> 00:35:55,695 It's like, whoa, this is a serious problem. 858 00:35:55,695 --> 00:35:57,447 I do think it needs a drug. 859 00:35:57,447 --> 00:36:00,408 And I think for those who can take HRT, we need that help. 860 00:36:00,408 --> 00:36:01,826 You need both. 861 00:36:01,826 --> 00:36:04,162 You need the hormone and you need the exercise. 862 00:36:04,162 --> 00:36:08,291 Okay, and I heard, too, that 73% of women 863 00:36:08,291 --> 00:36:11,586 blame menopause for their divorce. 864 00:36:11,586 --> 00:36:13,588 That is a lot. 865 00:36:13,588 --> 00:36:16,216 54-year-old Lynn is in our audience 866 00:36:16,216 --> 00:36:17,759 and says that this is her story. 867 00:36:17,759 --> 00:36:20,178 Lynn? Yes. 868 00:36:20,178 --> 00:36:23,098 Menopause was a very difficult time for me, 869 00:36:23,098 --> 00:36:26,434 and my mental health really -- 870 00:36:26,434 --> 00:36:29,020 I struggled with my mental health during menopause. 871 00:36:29,020 --> 00:36:31,022 My lows were very, very low. 872 00:36:31,022 --> 00:36:32,440 Meaning you were depressed. 873 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,860 I was very depressed. I went through lots of rage. 874 00:36:35,860 --> 00:36:38,154 It roller-coaster'd. Lots of rage. 875 00:36:38,154 --> 00:36:41,491 So one minute I would be rage crying, 876 00:36:41,491 --> 00:36:44,411 yelling at my husband that he didn't understand. 877 00:36:44,411 --> 00:36:48,415 My male gynecologist was really dismissive. 878 00:36:48,415 --> 00:36:51,042 The only thing that he told me about menopause 879 00:36:51,042 --> 00:36:54,462 was when I talked with him about sex hurting 880 00:36:54,462 --> 00:36:56,548 was that I should use a lubricant. 881 00:36:56,548 --> 00:37:01,052 And that was the extent of our menopause discussion. 882 00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:04,472 I ultimately got suicidal. 883 00:37:04,472 --> 00:37:06,057 Really? And for the first -- Yeah. 884 00:37:06,057 --> 00:37:07,934 Oh, I'm so sorry. 885 00:37:07,934 --> 00:37:12,939 And, gratefully, I found my way through that, 886 00:37:12,939 --> 00:37:14,607 and I switched doctors, 887 00:37:14,607 --> 00:37:16,985 and the female gynecologist that I went to, 888 00:37:16,985 --> 00:37:20,280 she spent an hour and a half with me at my visit. 889 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,408 What do you want to say to women like Lynn, Dr. Haver? 890 00:37:23,408 --> 00:37:25,869 This is such a common story. 891 00:37:25,869 --> 00:37:29,581 We see a 40% increase in mental health disorders. 892 00:37:29,581 --> 00:37:33,251 And, you know, for me and for many of my patients, 893 00:37:33,251 --> 00:37:36,129 menopause has become a necessary time 894 00:37:36,129 --> 00:37:37,964 to circle the wagons around yourself. 895 00:37:37,964 --> 00:37:40,175 For the first time, you have to put yourself first... 896 00:37:40,175 --> 00:37:41,926 Yeah. ...or you're not going to survive. 897 00:37:41,926 --> 00:37:43,887 And maybe that means leaving a relationship 898 00:37:43,887 --> 00:37:45,805 that wasn't serving you. 899 00:37:45,805 --> 00:37:49,559 And I'm sorry that it took so long 900 00:37:49,559 --> 00:37:51,978 for you to find the right help that you needed. 901 00:37:51,978 --> 00:37:54,522 But you sitting here looking so vibrant and beautiful 902 00:37:54,522 --> 00:37:56,983 and brave to share your story is everything, 903 00:37:56,983 --> 00:38:02,030 because there are women right now, tonight, listening to you, 904 00:38:02,030 --> 00:38:04,115 and it is resonating with them. 905 00:38:04,115 --> 00:38:06,451 And you're going to give them hope, 906 00:38:06,451 --> 00:38:08,578 because they're not alone. 907 00:38:08,578 --> 00:38:10,997 And -- And it's just everything. So thank you. 908 00:38:10,997 --> 00:38:12,665 Yeah. Thank you. 909 00:38:12,665 --> 00:38:15,251 I think that's why this -- 910 00:38:15,251 --> 00:38:18,213 Thank you, ABC, for allowing the show on the air, 911 00:38:18,213 --> 00:38:20,089 because I think it's so important -- 912 00:38:20,089 --> 00:38:22,258 you all can even see sitting here in this audience -- 913 00:38:22,258 --> 00:38:23,927 to educate yourself 914 00:38:23,927 --> 00:38:26,804 so that when you or somebody you know is going through it, 915 00:38:26,804 --> 00:38:30,016 you don't think that, "I need to kill myself over it." 916 00:38:30,016 --> 00:38:32,560 You realize that you just need to get information 917 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:34,854 and get yourself to the right doctor. 918 00:38:34,854 --> 00:38:36,231 We're so glad that you held on. 919 00:38:36,231 --> 00:38:37,232 Yeah, me too. 920 00:38:37,232 --> 00:38:38,775 You kept going. Thank you. 921 00:38:38,775 --> 00:38:43,154 ♪♪ 922 00:38:45,615 --> 00:38:48,535 This is what we talk about all the time -- the thermostat. 923 00:38:48,535 --> 00:38:50,245 [ Laughter ] 924 00:38:50,245 --> 00:38:51,287 And I'll just be honest with you. 925 00:38:51,287 --> 00:38:52,747 We fight. We fight about it. 926 00:38:52,747 --> 00:38:55,250 Well, I say that. I beat him down. 927 00:38:55,250 --> 00:38:57,585 I beat him down. 928 00:38:57,585 --> 00:39:00,463 But I want to keep it on 68 929 00:39:00,463 --> 00:39:03,424 because I want to live through the night. 930 00:39:03,424 --> 00:39:06,261 He wants to put it back up in the 70s. 931 00:39:06,261 --> 00:39:09,722 And I know he's cold and I feel terrible over it. 932 00:39:09,722 --> 00:39:13,393 I know he's cold, and I have that on 68. 933 00:39:13,393 --> 00:39:16,813 I have a fan coming this way and I have a fan coming that way. 934 00:39:16,813 --> 00:39:19,941 And he's just -- His hair is just blowing in the wind. 935 00:39:19,941 --> 00:39:21,484 [ Laughter ] 936 00:39:21,484 --> 00:39:23,027 Every woman. 937 00:39:23,027 --> 00:39:24,988 [ Applause ] 938 00:39:24,988 --> 00:39:28,116 "I'm Every Woman." That's Leanne Morgan. 939 00:39:28,116 --> 00:39:29,993 Two fans, we all need them, don't we? 940 00:39:29,993 --> 00:39:32,662 Thank you, Leanne. Thank you. 941 00:39:32,662 --> 00:39:36,916 Naomi, I'm going to let you have a last word. 942 00:39:36,916 --> 00:39:38,585 I would say to the younger generation, 943 00:39:38,585 --> 00:39:40,837 you do not have to fear it. 944 00:39:40,837 --> 00:39:44,007 We are the last generation that has had to suffer in silence 945 00:39:44,007 --> 00:39:46,134 and flail our way through. 946 00:39:46,134 --> 00:39:47,844 They can feel empowered. 947 00:39:47,844 --> 00:39:50,722 And in the book, I say the five T's. 948 00:39:50,722 --> 00:39:52,432 So watch the timelines. 949 00:39:52,432 --> 00:39:54,892 Don't fear them. Just pay attention to them. 950 00:39:54,892 --> 00:39:57,937 Be tender with yourself and others. 951 00:39:57,937 --> 00:40:00,773 Find good teachers, people you trust, 952 00:40:00,773 --> 00:40:02,775 whether that's a doctor or a mentor of some kind. 953 00:40:02,775 --> 00:40:04,944 Or us. Yeah. Or us, yes. 954 00:40:04,944 --> 00:40:07,864 And find your tribe. 955 00:40:07,864 --> 00:40:10,533 We are nothing without the strength of community. 956 00:40:10,533 --> 00:40:12,744 And then lastly, truth. 957 00:40:12,744 --> 00:40:16,789 Expect truth from others and yourself and just share that. 958 00:40:16,789 --> 00:40:19,125 Thank you, thank you. 959 00:40:19,125 --> 00:40:21,628 Alright, Ms. Halle Berry. 960 00:40:21,628 --> 00:40:24,380 I would like everybody to leave here with an action item, 961 00:40:24,380 --> 00:40:27,050 because I think part of dealing with menopause 962 00:40:27,050 --> 00:40:28,718 is we have to change culture, right? 963 00:40:28,718 --> 00:40:30,219 We have to destigmatize it. 964 00:40:30,219 --> 00:40:32,138 And so I think a really good way 965 00:40:32,138 --> 00:40:34,724 that we can all take from this moment, 966 00:40:34,724 --> 00:40:36,768 you know how we all have baby showers, 967 00:40:36,768 --> 00:40:38,019 we have wedding showers, 968 00:40:38,019 --> 00:40:40,563 we have bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, 969 00:40:40,563 --> 00:40:43,191 bachelorette parties, sweet 16s? 970 00:40:43,191 --> 00:40:46,027 Imagine a world that when a woman realized 971 00:40:46,027 --> 00:40:51,699 she was in the menopause, 365 days of that period gone, 972 00:40:51,699 --> 00:40:56,245 your family was responsible for throwing you a she-esta. 973 00:40:56,245 --> 00:40:58,456 [ Cheers and applause ] 974 00:40:58,456 --> 00:40:59,874 I love it. 975 00:40:59,874 --> 00:41:03,211 So that gives you something to look forward to 976 00:41:03,211 --> 00:41:06,339 where you are celebrated in a big way, small way, 977 00:41:06,339 --> 00:41:08,591 whatever your family thinks would be perfect for you. 978 00:41:08,591 --> 00:41:10,259 But you get a she-esta. 979 00:41:10,259 --> 00:41:12,553 And I think if your family doesn't want to do it, 980 00:41:12,553 --> 00:41:14,847 she-esta your damn self. 981 00:41:14,847 --> 00:41:15,974 Okay? 982 00:41:15,974 --> 00:41:18,184 [ Cheers and applause ] 983 00:41:18,184 --> 00:41:19,644 I love that. 984 00:41:19,644 --> 00:41:22,230 There's so much more to talk about on menopause. 985 00:41:22,230 --> 00:41:24,524 If you or someone you know is going through it 986 00:41:24,524 --> 00:41:28,403 or will be going through it, that means all you men, also -- 987 00:41:28,403 --> 00:41:29,988 Thank you for the men in our audience. 988 00:41:29,988 --> 00:41:33,241 I can -- I can see y'all are learning a lot. 989 00:41:33,241 --> 00:41:35,493 Come on over to "The Oprah Podcast." 990 00:41:35,493 --> 00:41:39,205 We have some in-depth episodes on menopause coming up. 991 00:41:39,205 --> 00:41:41,290 But I thank all of my guests today, 992 00:41:41,290 --> 00:41:43,376 and thank you for being such a great audience 993 00:41:43,376 --> 00:41:45,002 and all of you watching who joined us 994 00:41:45,002 --> 00:41:48,256 for this revolutionary conversation. 995 00:41:48,256 --> 00:41:49,882 [ Cheers and applause ] 996 00:41:49,882 --> 00:41:51,134 Go well, everybody.