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Few doctor\u2019s appointments inspire as much anxiety as a trip to the gynecologist \u2015 and Halle Berry says she\u2019s no exception.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Oscar-winning actor recently admitted to celebrity.land that she didn\u2019t always keep up with routine gynecological appointments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIn my youth, because of the old speculum, I didn\u2019t go every year. I\u2019m just going to be honest,\u201d Berry said. \u201cI did not like it. I didn\u2019t like white-knuckling it. I didn\u2019t like how I felt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Now, as the mother of an 18-year-old daughter preparing for her first gynecological exam, Berry is speaking out about the fears that keep many women from seeking routine care.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWhen I learned that 72% of women fall out of going to get their pelvic floor exam because they don\u2019t want to go through the fear-induced, excruciating process of this very intimate exam with the old, outdated, antiquated speculum, I paid attention,\u201d Berry told celebrity.land. \u201cWhen I researched this product, I realized this was actually revolutionary, and it could be something that could help women feel empowered and lean into their health instead of leaning out of their health, like so many women often do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Berry\u2019s comments come as she partners with <\/span>Nella<\/span><\/a>, a women\u2019s health company that developed a polymer speculum designed to provide a quieter and potentially less intimidating experience than traditional metal instruments.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n But the fears she is describing are far from uncommon.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cRegardless if it\u2019s part of the medical exam, it\u2019s still an intimate exam,\u201d said Dr. Tamika Auguste, a board-certified OB-GYN. \u201cI think that\u2019s where some of the angst is coming from.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Auguste said anxiety surrounding gynecological exams often stems from a combination of cultural stigma, vulnerability and fear of what patients may learn during the visit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI think there is an element of shame around the pelvic area of a woman \u2013 whether it\u2019s her vulva, her vagina, cervix, uterus, what have you,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Then there\u2019s the exam itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt\u2019s uncomfortable. It\u2019s not like, easy-peasy,\u201d Auguste said. \u201cNot to mention what could potentially happen \u2015 you could be told you have an infection or you have cancer. I think all of that adds to the anxiety level for these types of exams.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Many women have reportedly <\/span>delayed or skipped routine gynecological care<\/span><\/a> because of fear and discomfort.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Auguste said making gynecological care more comfortable is also an important part of encouraging women to seek care in the first place. From the growing use of plastic speculums instead of traditional metal ones to newer patient-centered products designed to give women more control over their exam experience, she believes these changes can help reduce anxiety and make appointments feel less intimidating.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the same time, she emphasized that no woman should feel obligated to silently endure symptoms that affect her quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cGone are the days where women should suffer through pelvic pain, suffer through menopausal symptoms,\u201d Auguste said. \u201cCome to your gynecologist and have a discussion about it. There\u2019s no reason to suffer anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n She added: \u201cThe gynecologist isn\u2019t just for the wham-bam-thank-you-ma\u2019am pelvic exam. It is for conversations to set you straight for your entire reproductive and post-reproductive life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n For Berry, the conversation around pelvic exams is part of a much larger fight.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n In recent years, she has become one of the most prominent celebrity advocates for women\u2019s health, particularly around menopause and the lack of research dedicated to women\u2019s bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe have not cared about women the way we should have,\u201d Berry said. \u201cWe deserve more dollars, more funding, more education, more research, because we have a right to understand how our bodies operate and what\u2019s best for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n In May 2024, <\/span>Berry traveled to Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/a>, to advocate for increased investment in women\u2019s health research. She famously stood outside the Capitol Building and shouted, \u201cI\u2019m in menopause!\u201d in an effort to challenge the stigma surrounding a life stage that affects millions of women but often remains shrouded in silence.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Berry has also spoken candidly about her own experience navigating perimenopause<\/a> and the frustration of having symptoms dismissed as a normal part of aging.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n