Drew Barrymore Is Breaking Menopause Taboos

Drew Barrymore is setting the record straight on menopause. On Wednesday, Barrymore sat down with Oprah Winfrey, Maria Shriver, Dr. Sharone Malone, Dr. Heather Hirsch, and Dr. Judith Joseph for “The Menopause Talk” on Winfrey's OprahDaily.com. On the panel, Barrymore got candid about how perimenopause and menopause have affected her dating life —  and why she was reluctant to tell a recent date about the panel because of what he may think.

"There’s something in that stigma that I don’t want you to think I’m some dusty, old, dry thing. That’s not the image I want," Barrymore said. 

As someone known for being an open book, she realized that the only way to put an end to the taboo menopause conversation was by openly chatting about living with its symptoms and becoming a pillar for other women experiencing the same changes.  

"I feel very confident, normally, and I want to be who I am and present myself. But in that moment, I thought, I have to tell this story because it was a real-life experience of, I'm so proud to be here. I'm an open book. But in that one moment, I was like, 'I don't want to say what it is, because I'm engaging in someone who I want to see me a certain way,' " she shared.

At that moment, not only did her outlook on the forbidden topic of menopause change, but it had her questioning if there was a way to “rebrand” the term. 

"If Mark Zuckerberg could rebrand Facebook to Meta, maybe we can do this for menopause. Because we've got the word men-o-pause. Pause is a natural stop... to a lover that there might be something repellent about that subject. Whereas with no one else do I find this subject taboo," the TV host said.

She continued, "You're just that dry old bag when you talk about menopause. And that is the conversation, the stigma that has to change. We have to make it funnier, more sexy and more safe. Because the 'aha moment' is the safe."

Her candid conversation about perimenopause comes just weeks after the actress experienced her first hot flash on an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show while interviewing pals and fellow rom-com royalty Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.

"I am so hot, I think I'm having my first perimenopause hot flashes," she said before taking off her pinstripe blazer and fanning herself. "For the first time, I think I'm having my first hot flash. Whoa!"

Aniston witnessing it by her side, jokingly said, "Oh, I feel so honored.” Barrymore then added, "I'm so sorry, do you feel this? Or maybe I'm just that excited." Aniston and Sandler both touched her hands to feel her "internal heat," as Aniston put it.