WOMYNS HEALTH
‘I’m in menopause': Halle Berry joins senators to confront stigma in her fight for women's care funding
AP | ByAshima Grover
May 06, 2024
American actress Halle Berry joined forces with senators on Thursday to combat the stigma against women's health care, including menopause.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Halle Berry is joining a group of bipartisan senators to push for legislation that would put $275 million toward research and education around menopause, the significant hormone shift women go through in middle age.
The legislation calls for the federal government to spend more on clinical trials on menopause as well as the hormone therapy that 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 scared to say in front of her.
“I’m in menopause, OK?” Berry yelled, eliciting chuckles from the crowd. “The shame has to be taken out of menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens. Our doctors can’t even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey.”
Halle Berry gets candid about menopause symptoms
In recent months, the leading Hollywood actor has been candid about the painful symptoms she experienced while going through perimenopause, which occurs before menopause when a woman’s estrogen levels start dropping. Her doctor initially misdiagnosed her with herpes, a sexually transmitted disease that both Berry and her partner tested negative for.
Under a proposal by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, $125 million would be set aside for clinical trials, public health and medical research on menopause. The remaining money would help support menopause detection and diagnosis, train doctors on treating menopause and raising public awareness around it.
“Menopause is not a bad word, it’s not something to be ashamed of, and it’s not something Congress or the federal government should ignore,” Murray said.
The bill is backed by 17 senators — three Republicans, 13 Democrats, one independent and all of them women. Several senators said Thursday they hope the bill will also encourage doctors, women and men to speak more openly about the health milestone all women experience.
Rising above the stigma against women's health care
Besides Berry, other celebrities have started sharing more about menopause on talk shows and in interviews, while some have even started hawking products related to it. And last year, President Joe Biden came out with a new initiative to improve the federal government’s research around women’s health, including menopause. Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, director of the National Institutes of Health, has said that too little is known about women’s health through all stages of life. Her agency is the federal government's leading medical research arm.
While the legislation has cleared what is typically one of Congress' biggest hurdles — getting bipartisan support — its prospects are uncertain. It's difficult getting bills through Congress at any time and the challenges are compounded now by the divisiveness on the Hill and the dwindling number of days on the legislative calendar before the November election.
The group of women will need 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 looking forward to getting support from her male counterparts. “If men went through menopause we would have adequately and appropriately funded the research (into) menopause decades and decades ago."
First Person: Women In Madagascar Too Ashamed To Seek Help Giving Birth
Some of the poorest women in an underdeveloped region south of Madagascar are “too ashamed” to seek the maternal health services they need, according to a midwife working in a health centre supported by United Nations agencies, but that may be about to change.
The predominantly rural region of Androy has been beset by a series of humanitarian crises which have affected the most vulnerable people there, including mothers-to-be, however the delivery of simple, inexpensive maternity kits is encouraging more women to access a range of services that will help keep them and their babies healthy.
Ahead of the International Day of the Midwife, celebrated annually on 5 May, Jeanne Bernadine Rasoanirina, a midwife in Behara, in Androy, spoke to UN News’s Daniel Dickinson about the challenges of reaching the poorest women.
“This is a very poor rural area, and many women are too ashamed to come to the health centre to have their babies delivered because they don’t even have the money for transport or to buy clean cloth in which to wrap their newborn. They don’t want other people to know they are poor.
The mothers-to-be who come here get all the support they need to give birth, and it’s free of charge, thanks to the government as well as UN agencies, including [the UN reproductive health agency] UNFPA.[The UN Children’s Fund] UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) provide important nutrition advice and support, which complements our work and is essential to keeping mothers and their children healthy.
Even though I have done this job for 19 years, it still really saddens me when women arrive who don’t have the means to look after themselves. They may be wearing dirty clothes, which is a sign of poverty, but also a lack of knowledge or respect for cleanliness.
In the last week, I have delivered three babies and over the past month, I attended over 330 antenatal and postnatal consultations, so there is definitely a demand for services.
Maternity kits
I think more women will be encouraged to come to the health centre, as yesterday we had a delivery of 240 maternity kits [supported by UNFPA] for the first time in over a year, which will last about three months.
The kits include everything a mother needs to give birth – gloves, gauze, umbilical cord clip and a syringe for the delivery and then cloth wraps and clothes in which to dress the baby. They will remove the shame that mothers feel.
It is frustrating that we have not had a consistent supply as this small item can make a big difference. It means more women will come to our health centre, which is a safer place to give birth. In 2023, we had only successful births; there were no deaths. We don’t know how many women gave birth at home nor how many children and mothers died as a result. There is definitely a risk of death if a woman doesn’t come here to deliver her baby.
Polygamy
There are still many cultural barriers to safe childbirth in the south of Madagascar. Children are considered a sign of wealth, even if families don’t have the means to look after them properly, so it is common to have many children, sometimes as many as 10.
Polygamy is also practiced, and some men have up to five wives and want to have children with all of them. We provide information here and offer training about these issues, but we must always be sensitive about the local culture.”
Recognizing vital role of midwives on International Doctor-Midwife day
Nazrin Abdul, AZERNEWS
Today, May 5, marks Doctor-Midwife Day, a celebration conceived by the International Association of Physician-Midwives during a 1987 conference in the Netherlands, Azernews reports.
It wasn't until 1992 that this day gained official recognition, now observed in over 50 countries worldwide, aiming to highlight the significance of midwifery.
The pivotal role midwives play in ensuring the health and well-being of both mother and child. Their expertise, knowledge, and skills are critical in safeguarding maternal and infant health.
The roots of this noble profession trace back to ancient civilizations like India and Greece, persisting through the ages to the present day.
In Azerbaijan, strides in obstetrics and gynecology are evident, with the Scientific-Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology under the Ministry of Health serving as a cornerstone for training specialists and advancing medical practices. The institute's focus on maternal and child health underscores its commitment to enhancing treatment and preventive measures for common ailments.
Midwives, often unsung heroes, play a vital role not only in childbirth but also in postnatal care, providing crucial medical assistance and emotional support to mothers and newborns. They serve as the primary caregivers from the moment a woman enters the maternity hospital until the baby's discharge, offering invaluable guidance and comfort throughout the journey into motherhood.
Last year, Azerbaijan welcomed 112,620 newborns into the world, with boys comprising 53.1% and girls 46.9% of births. Among them were 3,410 twins, 147 triplets, and 4 quadruplets. In the first two months of this year alone, over 17,000 babies were born in Azerbaijan, underscoring the ongoing significance of midwifery in ensuring the nation's future generations thrive.
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