Christian Smith
(NewsNation) — As a group of bipartisan senators pushes for $275 million in federal funding for menopause research and education, Emmy-winning journalist Tamsen Fadal emphasizes the dire need to raise awareness about this significant hormonal change that affects millions of women.
“The stigma is real. It’s very real,” said Fadal, who has a documentary titled “The M Factor” about menopause. “By the year 2025, if we just look at the numbers, one billion women around the world will be in menopause. That’s…a little more than half the population.”
However, Fadal notes, most women don’t even know what they’re dealing with when they experience symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, and anxiety.
“The problem is that most of them don’t even know what they are dealing with. So they are quite advanced in their symptoms. They don’t know what’s going on. And then they’re left wondering what’s going on? They face a lack of treatment, a lack of education and a lack of options about menopause,” she said in a Sunday interview with “NewsNation Prime.”
Fadal’s own menopause journey involved visiting five different doctors before understanding what was going on, highlighting gaps in medical education about the disease.
Under a proposal from Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, $125 million would be set aside for clinical trials, public health and medical research into menopause. The remaining money would help support menopause detection and diagnosis, train doctors in menopause treatment, and increase public awareness of the issue.
“I love seeing a bipartisan bill like this. I love seeing everyone gather at the Capitol,” Fadal said. “We still have work to do. But I think we can do it.”
The project is supported by 17 senators – three Republicans, 13 Democrats, one independent and all women. Several senators said Thursday they hope the bill also encourages doctors, women and men to talk more openly about the health milestone that all women experience.
While the legislation eliminated what is typically one of Congress’ biggest hurdles — gaining bipartisan support — its prospects are uncertain. It is difficult to pass bills through Congress at any time, and the challenges are compounded now by division in Congress and the decreasing number of days on the legislative calendar before the November elections.
The women’s group will have to get buy-in from their male colleagues to make the money for menopause research a reality. Congress is overwhelmingly represented by men.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
