Halle Berry has opened up about how her sex life was severely impacted after entering perimenopause, a phase she initially mistook for a “really bad case of herpes.”
During a candid conversation on The Drew Barrymore Show, the 58-year-old actress shared how the misdiagnosis affected her relationship with boyfriend Van Hunt.
She revealed that they struggled to find a way to enjoy sex again, dealing with dryness and discomfort that made intimacy challenging.
“We struggled with finding a way to have sex again,” she admitted. “It got pretty rough for a minute.”
Berry, who began dating Hunt in September 2020, recounted how there were “six or seven months” where sex felt excruciating, describing it as “razor blades.”
The sharp contrast to the early days of their relationship left her confused and searching for answers.
Berry knew something wasn’t right and recalled how Hunt, 54, immediately took her to the doctor when she experienced severe swelling in her private area.
The doctor initially diagnosed her with a “really bad case of herpes.” This sent Berry and Hunt into a 72-hour “blame game,” wondering who might have contracted the sexually transmitted disease.
However, things took a turn when the doctor called back, admitting that he was wrong—yet still didn’t know what was going on.
“He said, ‘You do not have herpes,’” Berry recalled. “And I’m like, ‘OK then, what is it?’ And this was the defining moment for me. He said, ‘I don’t know, that’s what it looked like.’”
That’s when Berry took matters into her own hands, doing her own research and discovering “Dry Vagina Syndrome,” a condition that many women face during perimenopause.
Realizing she had all the symptoms, she learned that hormonal changes during perimenopause can cause issues like vaginal dryness and discomfort.
Reflecting on her experience, Berry shared how it affected her relationship with Hunt, especially in the early days when they were getting to know each other.
“I had just met Van,” she said. “I manifested this man, and we were having the best time. I finally met my person, and it was amazing.”
But things took a painful turn when she struggled to empty her bladder one morning due to excruciating pain. “It took me almost 10 minutes to just empty my bladder because it was so painful,” she explained. “And substances were down there that I had never seen before, and I thought, ‘What is this?’”
Perimenopause, the transitional period around menopause, brings on a range of symptoms due to fluctuating hormone levels. These can include mood swings, night sweats, and vaginal dryness—symptoms Berry herself experienced firsthand.
While she eventually found ways to ease her discomfort, Berry now hopes to help other women going through similar struggles.
Her latest project, Respin, is dedicated to providing reliable, comprehensive information for women navigating menopause and the aging process.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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