Melinda French Gates shares perimenopause diagnosis struggle on new podcast

CBS News launched Healthful, a new podcast hosted by Norah O'Donnell, with Melinda French Gates as its first guest, turning a personal health story into a wider look at women’s care in the United States. French Gates said it took three doctors to diagnose and treat her perimenopause, even though she had access to some of the best healthcare available.

French Gates recalled that her symptoms began in her early 40s, shortly after she had finished having her last child in her late 30s. “I kind of couldn't believe it because I just finished having my last child in my late 30s,” she said in a CBS News video clip tied to the episode. The episode was previewed as a look at her experience with perimenopause and the difficulty of getting the right diagnosis and treatment, a process that exposed how often symptoms are missed or minimized even for women with resources and medical access.

The story also tied directly to French Gates’ broader push on women’s health. Pivotal, the organization she founded, says women’s health has long been underfunded and overlooked, leaving women in worse health than men. The group announced a $215 million commitment aimed at women’s health and well-being, including work to close gaps in care and focus on key moments that shape lives.

French Gates is also advancing an additional $1 billion commitment through 2026 to advance women’s power and influence globally, and she has given $10 million to The Menopause Society to improve menopause care in the United States. That grant is meant to educate healthcare professionals and expand access where care is most limited, underscoring that the problem is not only one of funding but also of training and recognition inside the medical system.

CBS News said the conversation connects menopause to French Gates’ philanthropic focus on women, and the network invited listeners to text topic suggestions to 202-217-1107. For a condition that still sends many women through years of uncertainty, the episode put a high-profile example on a basic failure in diagnosis and care.