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Dr. Jill Biden speaks about women’s health during A Day of Irrational Conversations at the Getty Center in Los Angeles on March 25, 2024 (Photo by Lindsay Rosenberg, A Day of Irrational Conversations) (provided “one day”)
First Lady Jill Biden spoke at an event at the Getty Center on Monday, March 25, about the Biden administration’s efforts to fundamentally change the way U.S. research on women’s health is approached and funded. Ta.
As part of a series of debates on “Day of Unreasonable Conversations,” Biden spoke with actress Halle Berry, who was billed as “writing a new story on women’s health (yes, that includes menopause!)” I joined the conversation. This annual event aims to connect entertainment industry stakeholders with changemakers from a wide range of fields and inspire writers, artists, and executives to use media to drive social change.
In a 15-minute conversation with Berry, the first lady talked about her own health initiatives and the women in the White House seeking to directly provide funding to address gaps in the understanding and treatment of women’s health issues. He spoke about why he spearheaded the health research initiative.
“We need answers about menopause. We need answers about why certain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are more common in women than men, and why diabetes affects women and men differently.” Biden said. “There are many unanswered questions, but today that is changing.”
Monday’s event concludes four days of fundraising and speaking engagements for the first lady in Los Angeles. During his visit, Biden also spoke at campaign receptions in Hancock Park and Rancho Mirage, and headlined the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Los Angeles Dinner.
The White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research supports research on conditions unique to women, conditions that disproportionately affect women, and conditions that affect women differently than men, such as menopause and endometriosis. It was launched in November 2023 to promote the
Women have historically been underrepresented in research studies, and many of the dosages and treatments for symptoms are based on the male body. Biden said the knowledge gap is particularly large when it comes to conditions affecting women of color and women with disabilities.
Biden spoke about his own frustrating experience navigating menopause and hormone therapy. She said the treatment was initially highly recommended to her to manage her symptoms, but she was suddenly told it was causing her breast cancer. A visit to her gynecologist gave her little idea of her best course of action.
“She (the gynecologist) had no answers,” Biden said. “And that’s the problem.”
“Obviously we have to find answers,” she said. “So I went to see Joe, and he signed an executive order to get more research and more funding, and put (the demands) into a $12 billion budget.”
In his State of the Union address earlier this month, the president asked Congress to direct $12 billion to women’s health research.
“Women make up more than half of the population, but research on women’s health has always been underfunded,” he said. “Pass my $12 billion plan to transform women’s health research and benefit millions of lives across America.”
During a conservation session with the first lady on Monday, Berry said she felt blindsided by the symptoms of menopause and that she wishes women were more educated about supplements and nutrition to help them get through this difficult time. He said he was glad. She also expressed frustration that society as a whole does not take menopause seriously, dismissing it as just a pesky hot flash, for example.
“Hot flashes keep you up at night, and what does that do to men and women as they age, when they don’t get proper sleep? It causes all kinds of physiological problems in your body, and it can cause early It leads to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diabetes and heart disease,” she said.
Biden said the lack of guidance on health concerns is a complaint all older women can relate to.
“When I get together with my girlfriends and sisters, all we talk about is health,” she said. “What are these hot flashes? Why can’t I sleep? Why is my hair thinning? Why am I gaining or losing weight, whatever it is, we need answers. Masu.”
If approved by Congress, the president’s proposed $12 billion investment would be used to establish a women’s health research fund at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His executive order, signed March 18, will revitalize this fund by providing $200 million to the NIH to expand research on women’s reproductive issues.
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