Actress Halle Berry was on Capitol Hill on Thursday to share her support for a new bill from the Senate set to provide further research into menopause.
Berry, 57, addressed a crowd outside of the Capitol to share her own story of menopause, the phase of life after a woman no longer has a menstrual cycle. She shared a story about reporting a symptom of menopause to her male doctor, who seemed hesitant to diagnose her.
“It has to be destigmatized. The shame has to be taken out of menopause,” Berry said. “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 of what our menopausal years look like or our years after that.”
Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are leading the Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act to fund $275 million toward research and public awareness with the sponsorship of Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), among others. This legislation will also create grants for doctors who specialize in menopausal care.
“It is past time for us to extend our research focus to be inclusive of women across the full spectrum of life,” Murkowski said.
The actress went on Instagram to express that she was attempting to stand up for all women.
“By advocating for my own health and wellbeing during menopause, I am not only standing up for myself but for all women. Because, if we are fortunate enough to live this long, we will all experience this phase of life,” Berry wrote. “Today is a call to action for each and every one of us to stand together and demand the care and attention that we so vitally deserve.”
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TIME named Berry on its “TIME100” health list Thursday, among others who are “dedicated to creating tangible, credible change for a healthier population.” This year was the inaugural year for the list centered on health following the publication’s list of the top 100 influential people of every year.
Meanwhile, the House has a similar bill, the Menopause Research and Equity Act of 2023, which was introduced in December.