Today, let’s take a break from all Trump all the time, both because I think we could all use a second, and also because there is something else making me quite mad today, perimenopause. Wait, I know you’re thinking, this is a political opinion. Show what do the hormonal fluctuations experienced by middle aged women have to do with politics, sit down. Okay, so for the duration of well, my life anyway, menstruation has been a very dirty little secret held by half of the global population. I grew up tucking tampons into my sweatshirt sleeves. Girls, you feel me absolutely mortified by the mere thought that someone might know I was having my period, aka, a thing that literally has to happen for the perpetuation of the human race.

Menopause. I don’t know, we talked about it a little, I guess, but mostly in the well, that’s when women dry up and lose all their cultural value. Context, perimenopause, that’s what myself,

that’s what myself and many of that’s what myself and many of my friends are going through. It’s basically the multi year lead up to the cessation of your period. And again, it is something that fully half the global population will likely experience in one way or another. And yet, until recently, I have never heard it mentioned in polite company or on social media.

Now I drag social media a lot, but with the aging of the first wave of internet overshares, of which I’m a proud member, comes an interesting side effect. Women are talking about perimenopause loudly, celebrities, including Oprah, Gwyneth, Halle, Berry, Michelle Obama, they’ve all spoken openly about their experiences with perimenopause and menopause, and brands are starting to realize that all this newfound openness, of course, presents an opportunity to make money, so they’re busy creating all sorts of menopause targeted products, which is great, really, but what took so long historically and even now, the medical industry skews heavily male.

But what took so long historically and even now, the medical industry skews heavily male, and let me tell you, if men were dealing with hot flashes, reduced sex drive and the flotilla of additional potential health issues that come along with menopause, I’m guessing it would be more of a thing. There’d probably be a pill to stop it or delay it, and it would probably be readily available and free.

Now, thanks to all this new research, it turns out surprise that ovaries might actually be important, like beyond the baby making part, they’re really the only organs that we expect to one day just essentially shut down, creating a whole host of problems, including elevated risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. But we’re okay with that, because, come on, women,

except scientists, are discovering that studying ovaries may unlock exciting new developments in longevity research, money power, living forever, like a god. Obviously, ovaries have now become deeply deserving of our attention. The gender gap in health care in this country, exacerbated, of course, by the additional gap in the quality of care provided to minority women is 1,000%

a political issue. We’ve made strides in the direction of addressing women’s specific health care needs, sure, but the recent election, I think it showed just how far we have to go in.

Fight to be treated like,

well, like our bodies actually matter. I.