NEED TO KNOW
- Alyssa Milano and Jeannie Mai are executive producing a four-part docuseries, BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey, that takes a look at the brutal realities of women’s changing hormones
- The series, premiering in January, will examine the honest realities versus the misconceptions of perimenopause
- “Women shouldn’t have to suffer in confusion and shame,” Milano tells PEOPLE exclusively
A new documentary looks at the brutal realities of perimenopause — and frames it as not “just hot flashes and night sweats,” but as, truly, a global health crisis.
PEOPLE has the exclusive first look at the trailer for BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey, a four-part documentary series, executive produced by Alyssa Milano and Jeannie Mai, directed by monks and filmmakers Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti, and distributed by Filmhub.
Michael Ostuni/Patrick McMullan via Getty; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
“Women shouldn’t have to suffer in confusion and shame. With this docuseries, we’re reclaiming our narratives, pushing for research, and demanding a healthcare system that treats women with respect and equity,” Milano, 52, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
In the trailer, a voiceover says, “It’s just hot flashes and night sweats is the biggest crock of s— that’s ever been delivered to people” — as women share that they’re struggling with low sex drive, brain fog, depression, insomnia, aches, and being perceived as “crazy.”
“You really suffer, and you don’t know how to communicate, because you don’t know what’s happening,” one woman tearfully shares.
With the assistance of a host of experts like Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Louise Newson, Dr. Sharon Malone, and more, the series looks at what women need to know about perimenopause — like when it can start, and what can be done to help, even though treatment options like hormones can be perceived as “dangerous,” even though that’s “not true.”
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As Mai, 46, tells PEOPLE exclusively “I’m so proud to stand beside a mission-driven team shining a much-needed spotlight on perimenopause. Just like trafficking, hormonal health is another critical women’s issue kept in the dark. With BALANCE, we aim to break that silence. I want to share with every woman the tools to stop breaking down — and start breaking through.”
BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, beginning Jan. 30.
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