The First Lady Jill Biden discussed the Biden administration’s efforts to fundamentally shift how America approaches and funds research on women’s health at an event at the Getty Center on Monday, March 25.
Biden was joined in conversation with actress Halle Berry billed as “Writing New Stories About Women’s Health (Yes, That Includes Menopause!),” as part of a series of discussions during “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation.” This annual event seeks to connect entertainment industry players to change-makers in a wide range of fields to inspire writers, artists and executives to use media to advance social change.
During her 15-minute conversation with Berry, the First Lady discussed her personal health journey and why she spearheaded the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which seeks to direct funding to address gaps in the understanding and treatment of women’s health concerns.
“We need answers for menopause and for why do certain diseases like Alzheimer’s hit women more than men, why does diabetes affect women differently than men?” said Biden. “There are so many things that we don’t have the answers to, but that is changing today.”
Monday’s event wraps up the First Lady’s public appearances during her four-day fundraising and speaking swing through Los Angeles. During the trip, Biden also delivered remarks 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 was launched in November 2023 to spur research on conditions unique to women — such as menopause and endometriosis — conditions that disproportionately impact women and conditions that impact women differently than men.
Women are historically underrepresented in research studies and many dosages and treatments for conditions are based on men’s bodies. Gaps in knowledge are especially large for conditions impacting women of color and women with disabilities, Biden said.
Biden recounted her own frustrating experience navigating menopause and hormone therapy. At first the therapy was strongly recommended to manage her symptoms and then suddenly she was being told it caused breast cancer, she said. A visit to her gynecologist provided little clarity on the best course of action.
“She (the gynecologist) had no answers,” said Biden. “And that’s the problem.”
“Obviously we have to find answers,” she said. “So I went to Joe and he signed an executive order to make sure that we have more research and more funding and he put (a request) into the budget for $12 billion.”
The President voiced his request for Congress to direct $12 billion to women’s health research during his State of the Union Address earlier this month.
“Women are more than half of our population but research on women’s health has always been underfunded,” he said. “Pass my plan for $12 billion to transform women’s health research and benefit millions of lives across America.”
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During Monday’s conservation with the First Lady, Berry shared how she felt blindsided by the symptoms from menopause and wished she had been educated about the supplements and nutrition that can help women navigate this challenging time. She also voiced her annoyance that society at large doesn’t take menopause seriously, reducing it, for example, to just some annoying hot flashes.
“When you have hot flashes what that does is it keeps you awake at night and when you don’t get proper sleep as you age, both men and women, what does that do? It causes all kinds of physiological problems in your body, which lead to early Alzheimer’s, dementia, diabetes, and heart disease,” she said.
Biden said that lack of guidance over health concerns is a frustration all older women can relate to.
“If you get together with your girlfriends or your sisters all we talk about is health,” she said. “What are these hot flashes? Why am I not sleeping? Why is my hair thinning? Why am I gaining weight, losing weight, whatever it is, and we need answers.”
If approved by Congress, the President’s proposed $12 billion investment would be used to create a Fund for Women’s Health Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His executive order, signed on March 18, will jump-start this fund by provide the NIH with $200 million to expand research on women’s sexual and reproductive issues.