Naomi Watts read about infertility 'in secret' when her perimenopause began at 36: 'It's a sin to age in our industry.'

• Naomi Watts was diagnosed with perimenopause at 36, leading to infertility issues. • Watts said she waited to publicly speak about it. • The actor said the topic used to feel taboo, both in her career and her social circles.

At 36, Naomi Watts had never heard of "perimenopause" — even after she was diagnosed with it.

"That word was never mentioned to me — that nice, softer word that is around a lot today," Watts, now 57, told Business Insider at Meno Café, a weekend-long pop-up event in New York hosted by Stripes, Watts' menopause-focused beauty and sexual wellness brand.

Since then, Watts has taken a lead role in advancing conversations around menopause, which is when a woman hasn't had her period in 12 consecutive months, usually between the ages of 45 and 55. In 2022, she found