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Rachel V Thomas

‘I Was Vocal About Cancer But Silent About Menopause Out Of Shame’, Says Actress Lisa Ray

Actress Lisa Ray was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/cancer">cancer</a>, in 2009. She successfully went into remission but experienced a cancer relapse shortly after her wedding in 2012.

During her journey to recovery, she became a prominent advocate for cancer awareness and research. However, it was during this period, at the age of 37, that she also suffered chemo-induced menopause — a topic she brushed aside, not wanting to bring it up out of shame and fear, reflecting the taboo society still associates with the natural end of a woman’s reproductive phase.

In an interaction with HealthandMe, the Oscar-nominated film Water (2005) actress opened up about her experience with chemo-induced menopause.

“I went into chemo-induced menopause at 37. I was given no support. I was completely lost. And even for a subsequent decade after that, I couldn’t find any answers. I didn’t know how to take care of myself. I didn’t know I had options,” she said.

<h2>‘I Carried This Burning Secret Inside Me’</h2>

The actress shared that she normalized many of her symptoms and avoided speaking openly about menopause despite being candid about cancer.

“I was so vocal about cancer. I’m actually somebody who prefers to be quite truthful about what I’m going through. I don’t really like to hide things. I’m not secretive by nature. And yet, I carried this burning secret inside me for so many years,” she said.

“When I was being lauded as someone who was breaking through the silence of cancer, I was carrying the silent secret inside me. I couldn’t understand why for many years. And I realized today, I was carrying shame.”

She noted that menopause continues to remain a deeply misunderstood and under-discussed subject, despite affecting all women.

<h2>‘Menopause Was Like A Black Box’</h2>

Lisa said conversations around menopause were absent even within families.

“My mother never talked to me about menopause. Of course, we discussed my period when I got it, but menopause was simply like a black box,” she said.

The actress recalled that discussions around perimenopause and menopause only began when many of her close friends started experiencing symptoms themselves.  

Calling the silence around menopause “astonishing” and “extremely unjust,” Lisa said women’s hormonal health continues to be severely underfunded and misunderstood globally.

“Menopause impacts all women. Yet it’s treated like a dark secret,” she told HealthandMe.

Lisa added that once she began researching the issue, she became increasingly frustrated by the lack of awareness and medical attention surrounding menopause and hormonal health.

Menopause Not Getting Enough Attention

The actress said that after moving to Dubai, she began openly discussing menopause on social media, despite initially worrying about public reaction.

“Sometimes in social settings, women would almost shut down or turn away and say, ‘Don’t talk about that.’ But when I put it on social media, maybe it permitted a lot of other women to also find a place to have a conversation or a community,” she said.

To bring about change where women can speak freely about the topic and seek treatment early, Lisa has co-founded NuHer, a science-backed health clinic and platform dedicated to midlife care for women. It is designed to support perimenopause and menopause through personalized medical treatments, clinical psychology, and nutritional guidance.

When asked why she chose to focus on menopause and women’s hormonal health, the Four More Shots Please! actress stated, “Menopause is simply not getting the attention that it needs. Women are struggling to get the care that they need and understand their options.”

Lisa explained that while awareness around cancer has steadily improved in India since her multiple myeloma diagnosis in 2009, menopause remains “the next taboo or frontier.”

According to Lisa, NuHer aims to create a safe, science-backed space where women can access support without judgment or dismissal.

“We need a place where women can be heard, where they’re not dismissed, where they’re not gaslit, where they receive all the right science and the options they can choose for this journey,” she told HealthandMe.

She also criticized the tendency to dismiss menopausal symptoms as a “normal” part of aging without offering support or treatment options.

“Women are not broken. Menopause is not a disease like cancer that has to be cured. But women need support. We don’t need to normalize suffering,” Lisa said.

<h2>Menopause Is 'Stepping Into Our Power Age’</h2>

Speaking about aging and post-menopause life, Lisa argued that society often dismisses older women despite what she described as a biologically important phase of life.

“We’ve had terrible PR as aging women. We are dismissed and considered irrelevant when actually we’re stepping into our power age if we know how to take care of ourselves,” the acclaimed actress told HealthandMe.

However, the problem arises when menopause is left unaddressed, and the hormonal changes cause long-term health impacts, including bone health, heart disease risk, and possibly dementia.

“The problem is with the drop in hormones. If you don’t have strategies and lifestyle changes to support yourself post-menopause, you become a frail woman. Your bones suffer. You’re more prone to heart disease and possibly even dementia,” she said, urging more women to seek medical help during menopause and not suffer in silence.

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Actress Lisa Ray was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood cancer, in 2009. She successfully went into remission but experienced a cancer relapse shortly after her wedding in 2012.During her journey to recovery, she became a prominent advocate for cancer awareness and research. However, it was during this period, at the age of 37, that she also suffered chemo-induced menopause — a topic she brushed aside, not wanting to bring it up out of shame and fear, reflecting the taboo society still associates with the natural end of a woman’s reproductive phase.In an interaction with HealthandMe, the Oscar-nominated film Water (2005) actress opened up about her experience with chemo-induced menopause.“I went into chemo-induced menopause at 37. I was given no support. I was completely lost. And even for a subsequent decade after that, I couldn’t find any answers. I didn’t know how to take care of myself. I didn’t know I had options,” she said.‘I Carried This Burning Secret Inside Me’The actress shared that she normalized many of her symptoms and avoided speaking openly about menopause despite being candid about cancer.“I was so vocal about cancer. I’m actually somebody who prefers to be quite truthful about what I’m going through. I don’t really like to hide things. I’m not secretive by nature. And yet, I carried this burning secret inside me for so many years,” she said.“When I was being lauded as someone who was breaking through the silence of cancer, I was carrying the silent secret inside me. I couldn’t understand why for many years. And I realized today, I was carrying shame.”She noted that menopause continues to remain a deeply misunderstood and under-discussed subject, despite affecting all women. ‘Menopause Was Like A Black Box’Lisa said conversations around menopause were absent even within families.“My mother never talked to me about menopause. Of course, we discussed my period when I got it, but menopause was simply like a black box,” she said.The actress recalled that discussions around perimenopause and menopause only began when many of her close friends started experiencing symptoms themselves.  Calling the silence around menopause “astonishing” and “extremely unjust,” Lisa said women’s hormonal health continues to be severely underfunded and misunderstood globally.“Menopause impacts all women. Yet it’s treated like a dark secret,” she told HealthandMe.Lisa added that once she began researching the issue, she became increasingly frustrated by the lack of awareness and medical attention surrounding menopause and hormonal health.Menopause Not Getting Enough AttentionThe actress said that after moving to Dubai, she began openly discussing menopause on social media, despite initially worrying about public reaction.“Sometimes in social settings, women would almost shut down or turn away and say, ‘Don’t talk about that.’ But when I put it on social media, maybe it permitted a lot of other women to also find a place to have a conversation or a community,” she said.To bring about change where women can speak freely about the topic and seek treatment early, Lisa has co-founded NuHer, a science-backed health clinic and platform dedicated to midlife care for women. It is designed to support perimenopause and menopause through personalized medical treatments, clinical psychology, and nutritional guidance.When asked why she chose to focus on menopause and women’s hormonal health, the Four More Shots Please!  actress stated, “Menopause is simply not getting the attention that it needs. Women are struggling to get the care that they need and understand their options.”Lisa explained that while awareness around cancer has steadily improved in India since her multiple myeloma diagnosis in 2009, menopause remains “the next taboo or frontier.”According to Lisa, NuHer aims to create a safe, science-backed space where women can access support without judgment or dismissal.“We need a place where women can be heard, where they’re not dismissed, where they’re not gaslit, where they receive all the right science and the options they can choose for this journey,” she told HealthandMe.She also criticized the tendency to dismiss menopausal symptoms as a “normal” part of aging without offering support or treatment options.“Women are not broken. Menopause is not a disease like cancer that has to be cured. But women need support. We don’t need to normalize suffering,” Lisa said.Menopause Is 'Stepping Into Our Power Age’Speaking about aging and post-menopause life, Lisa argued that society often dismisses older women despite what she described as a biologically important phase of life.“We’ve had terrible PR as aging women. We are dismissed and considered irrelevant when actually we’re stepping into our power age if we know how to take care of ourselves,” the acclaimed actress told HealthandMe.However, the problem arises when menopause is left unaddressed, and the hormonal changes cause long-term health impacts, including bone health, heart disease risk, and possibly dementia.“The problem is with the drop in hormones. If you don’t have strategies and lifestyle changes to support yourself post-menopause, you become a frail woman. Your bones suffer. You’re more prone to heart disease and possibly even dementia,” she said, urging more women to seek medical help during menopause and not suffer in silence.

‘i was vocal about cancer but silent about menopause out of shame’, says actress lisa ray

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