According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 2 million women in the United States reach menopause each year, experiencing a variety of symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, sexual dysfunction, and so much more. Menopausal symptoms often go untreated and unreported, leaving countless women grappling with intrusive and disruptive experiences that profoundly impact their quality of life. Unfortunately, even celebrities aren’t immune to these challenges, with many having had their menopause symptoms misdiagnosed, highlighting the urgent need for better awareness of the full range of symptoms and treatment.
“We know that women’s pain can sometimes be disregarded or not taken seriously,” says Dr. Jennifer Lang, a board certified OB-GYN and Flow Advisor. “Many doctors don’t credit a woman’s account of symptoms that she’s experiencing or her suffering. They tend to attribute it to depression, anxiety, or complaining. This is just sexism in our environment.” Of course another issue is a lack of access to high quality and reliable and accessible health care, Dr. Lang adds: “Not everybody in America has health insurance, or people are uninsured, or underinsured in many cases. So that also plays into it.”
A recent study in England found that women were forced to attend up to ten doctor’s appointments just to get an official menopause diagnosis. Published exclusively on The Independent, the study revealed that nearly five million hours of general practitioner (GP) time are wasted annually on unnecessary menopause appointments, largely attributed to the lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals.
Here, celebrities share their candid experiences with their menopause symptoms being misdiagnosed or misunderstood.