Gabrielle Union Opens Up About Feeling “Defective” During Her Perimenopause Journey: “All Of It Can Feel Very Isolating And You Can Feel Like Less Than A Woman”

Gabrielle Union addresses the adjustments she endured throughout her perimenopause journey.

In a latest dialog with PEOPLE journal, the actress shared her experiences navigating the challenges of perimenopause, highlighting her use of her platform to encourage and help others. Following a complete blood panel examination, which she wasn’t completely acquainted with on the time, Union obtained the prognosis that she was within the stage of perimenopause.

Union candidly acknowledged that her most vital problem was coping with hair loss, though it was simply one in every of a number of signs she skilled throughout this era.

“All of it can feel very isolating and you can feel like less of a woman, especially as a Black woman where our hair is our crown. There’s literally the CROWN Act and I’m like, uh, my crown looks more like a barrette at this moment,” she added. “It was the hot flashes, the night sweats that could happen at any time of day, brain fog, mood changes, ongoing sadness, anxiety that felt more like terror, hair loss, and then random weight gain. That’s when it really hit home for me.”

She continued, “You just feel defective, right? You could be short with people, you could be super irritable, you could be just really sad, which some of those things may add up to people wanting to pull away from you or having extra commentary about your mood or how you are being.”

In consequence, Union is now an envoy for Clearblue’s latest product, the Menopause Stage Indicator, a mix of a urine check and a well being monitoring app designed to help girls in figuring out their menopause stage.

“I’m going to do my best to make sure that women have resources and options and can learn new ways of advocating for themselves,” she mentioned.