Oprah Winfrey is shedding light on menopause in her upcoming special titled “An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution.” Unbelievably the program will appear on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu. It seeks to address a difficult issue that our country has historically considered taboo and largely swept under the rug. Menopause is a major transition in a woman’s life. As defined by the U.S. Office on Women’s Health, it is when a woman has not had a period for 12 straight months, typically around the average age of 52, impacting millions of women each year.
Menopause symptoms are highly individualized. These can be pesky hot flashes, mood swings, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, urinary incontinence, disruptive bleeding or periods, vaginal dryness/atrophy/infections and changes in sexual desire. Even Winfrey herself suffered most of these symptoms for about two years before realizing what was going on with her body.
About 1% of U.S. women suffer from premature menopause, when a woman undergoes menopause before 40 years old. Menopause can be a particularly daunting life change for many women. It affects their physical health, mental health, and quality of life. Winfrey recalls her struggle with concentration during this time, stating, “The worst part for me, this is when I knew I was really in trouble, is when I couldn’t concentrate reading.”
It was this loss of focus that made Winfrey take a break from publically running her legendary book club. “I love reading so much, but I let go of the book club because I could not concentrate when I was reading. I could no longer finish a book,” she explained. Once she began HRT, she found her focus returning. With her sight restored, she was able to return to the book club.
Heart palpitations were another menopause symptom that surprised Winfrey—which she didn’t realize was a menopause symptom, either. “Because it affects every cell in your body, the first time you have any of the symptoms, that’s when you need to go find a doctor who will listen to you, hear you and take action for you,” she emphasized.
The special not only features Winfrey’s personal story but includes contributions from other public figures who have openly shared their experiences with menopause. Take a look at the impressive line-up that includes Maria Shriver, Naomi Watts and Halle Berry. They care deeply about opening up this discussion and destigmatizing menopause. Their mission is to empower women to get the care and information they deserve about this normal process.
Despite being such a universal experience for as many as half the world’s population, menopause has long been overlooked and underfunded in research. Yet the discussion around it very quickly dies down. This silence not only discourages women from seeking out resources but inhibits open discussion on women’s experiences. Winfrey’s A Path Forward initiative aims to counter this narrative by building resources for healing, learning, and understanding.
