Menopause, a common condition experienced by the vast majority of women, remains shrouded in secrecy and stigma, like many other female health conditions. However, pioneering women like Michelle Obama are thankfully committed to breaking down the barriers of silence surrounding this topic. In the latest episode of her new Spotify podcast, the former First Lady opened up about all things related to women’s health, including her own experiences.
Obama was joined by her friend and gynecologist, where she spoke candidly about taking hormones for both menopause and previous struggles with infertility. The 56-year-old explained, “I, too, am a hormone taker, low risk, on all the other fronts, because I have a very healthy baseline, and also, I was experiencing hormone shifts because of infertility, having to take shots and all that.” She further discussed how she experienced night sweats and hot flashes even in her thirties.
The former First Lady went on to discuss how she had to deal with these symptoms while working in one of the most-observed positions in the world, as First Lady during her husband Barack Obama’s presidency. She recalled a particular incident while traveling in Marine One, the helicopter carrying the President, where she experienced a hot flash so intense that it felt like “somebody put a furnace in my core and turned it on high, and then everything started melting.”
‘I need to walk into an event, and, literally, it was like somebody put a furnace in my core and turned it on high, and then everything started melting.’
Michelle Obama
Obama also discussed how she spoke to her husband about what she was going through. This was helpful to him as he was working closely with many women of a similar age going through menopause, and he could learn how to accommodate his female colleagues. “Barack was surrounded by women in his cabinet, many going through menopause, and he could see it, he could see it in somebody, cause sweat would start pouring, and he’s like ‘well what’s going on, you know?’ and it’s like no, this is just how we live.”
During the podcast, the friends also discussed having more open conversations surrounding issues of women’s health so that women don’t have to suffer in silence and feel so uncomfortable, particularly in areas and workplaces dominated by men. Obama highlighted the challenges of working while experiencing the symptoms of menopause, “Any person who’s going through menopause who’s going to work every day in a suit, you can be drenched in sweat, down to your core, in the middle of a freezing cold office, and have to shower, and change clothes, and fix your hair all over again.”
The former First Lady‘s frank discussion of her own experiences has helped to break down the stigma surrounding menopause and brought much-needed attention to the challenges that women face during this time. The conversation also touched on the topic of pain and how women have to deal with it in a way that most men cannot comprehend. Michelle Obama’s openness and candor are an inspiration to women everywhere.