Halle Berry Gets Candid About Painful Menopause Symptom That Felt Like 'Razor Blades': 'I Didn't Know What Was Happening'

Halle Berry is opening up about a deeply personal health struggle that many women face, but few talk about.

The Oscar winner spilled about the painful menopause symptoms that left her searching for answers, revealing the discomfort was so intense it felt like "razor blades" were cutting her.

Berry recalled that she was 54 years old when she "plummeted into perimenopause" and began experiencing severe v------ dryness.

"I had [what felt like] razor blades in my v-----!" she said in an interview with The Healthy. "I didn't know what the heck was happening, and I quickly got told that it was v------ dryness, which is a big side effect of perimenopause. I didn't know what to do about it."

Determined to find relief, the actress began researching treatment options herself before discovering a red light therapy device from women's intimate wellness brand Joylux.

"I was using that [type of therapy] on my face, and the idea was we should be able to use that on our v------, and it would create the same effect," Berry explained. "Within two weeks to 30 days, I had more moisture down there, and I thought, 'Wow, this actually is working.'"

Berry has previously shared that her journey began with a frightening doctor's appointment after experiencing pain during intimacy.

"I was horrified to be told I had herpes just to realize that it wasn't herpes at all," she recalled. "It was v------ dryness. That's a normal part of perimenopause."

According to Berry, her doctor was convinced of the diagnosis.

"He told me before the test came back, 'I'm sure what this is, I've seen it 100 times — this is herpes — but I'll do the test for confirmation,'" she said.

When the results came back negative, Berry asked what else could be causing her symptoms.

"He kind of said he didn't know, and that's the moment my brain clicked," she remembered. "'I don't know' is not the answer I wanted and not the answer I deserve. So I went and started on my own path of reconnaissance. I got curious, I read, I called, I talked to people. I just had to start figuring myself out."

Berry said her experience exposed a larger problem — the lack of education surrounding menopause and women's intimate health.

"I want them to find their courage, because [women are] worth it," she said of others experiencing similar symptoms. "Our health is worth it, and we cannot be embarrassed anymore about these conversations."

She also encouraged women to seek a second opinion if they feel their concerns are being dismissed.

"If our doctor is not knowledgeable, guess what, ladies? We have to change our doctors — because not getting care is not an option," Berry declared. "Doctors have to go back and get retooled. They have to make it important and get a higher education."

Berry, who has become one of Hollywood's leading advocates for menopause awareness, believes women's sexual health deserves the same attention as men's.

"We talk about penile dysfunction, right? They have Viagra commercials for the Super Bowl!" she pointed out. "Why can't we, as women, talk about what our needs are? Our sexual health is just as important as [men's]."

She added: "Having a healthy s-- life — being sexual human beings — is part of our health and our longevity."

The actress recently partnered with Joylux to launch "Juicy Like a Peach," an innovative treatment designed to help combat v------ dryness.