Halle Berry recently revealed how an incorrect diagnosis of herpes affected her intimate relationship with her partner, Van Hunt.
In a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Berry spoke about various subjects, including insights into her private life.
The primary focus of Berry’s guest spot was to promote her newest venture, Respin, a startup designed to support women dealing with menopause-related challenges.
During the conversation, Berry openly shared her experience of being misdiagnosed with herpes, which had a significant impact on her romantic life.
At the age of 58, Berry recounted: “When I was 54 years old, I had just met Van. I manifested this man and we were having the best time. I finally met my person and it was amazing.”
However, circumstances took a turn when the actress, known for her role in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, experienced severe discomfort while trying to use the restroom.
She explained, “I couldn’t go. It was so painful … it took me almost 10 minutes to just empty my bladder because it was so painful.”
She described encountering unfamiliar substances and thought, “What is this?”
Following a quick visit to the doctor, Berry recounted, “And he [doctor] is doing the exam and looking up there and he said, ‘Yep, uh huh I think I know what this is,’ and I’m like, ‘What?!’ and he said, ‘It’s a really bad case of herpes.'”
Berry noted that she and Hunt engaged in a blame game over the next few days, only to later discover that the diagnosis was incorrect. However, the actual cause of her symptoms remained a mystery to medical professionals.
Berry further explained, “He said, ‘You do not have herpes’. And I was 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’.”
This experience led Berry to conduct her own research, during which she identified Dry Vagina Syndrome, a condition that occurs in women during perimenopause, and she realized she exhibited all the associated symptoms.
Per the Mayo Clinic, ‘perimenopause means “around menopause” and refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years’.
Through Respin, Berry is sharing her story to educate other middle-aged women about similar symptoms and experiences.