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Melinda French Gates says medicine has too often been built around men’s bodies, leaving women with gaps in research and care—including during perimenopause and menopause. Her argument, in an interview on the Nice Talk podcast, is that awareness alone is not enough: clinicians need better training, women need access to appropriate care, and research needs investment.
What does Melinda French Gates say about menopause?
In an interview reported by Marie Claire on October 1, 2026, French Gates linked menopause-care gaps to a wider history of medical research and institutions centering men. “So we studied men’s bodies, but we didn’t necessarily study women’s bodies in the way that we should have,” she said. “And so, consequently, our health system got set up for men.”
She described menopause as something women have historically been expected to manage quietly, while emphasizing that treatment exists and that access and quality of care matter. Her point is not that there are no treatments; it is that women should be able to discuss symptoms, receive informed care, and have more treatment options supported by research.
What are the gaps in menopause care?
French Gates said that “only only a third of OB/GYNs are trained in perimenopause and menopause,” as quoted by Marie Claire. The article does not identify the underlying survey, its date, denominator, or definition of training, so this should be understood as her attributed interview claim—not as an independently verified estimate of clinician training.
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She called for education not only for OB/GYNs but also for primary-care specialists and other healthcare professionals, so they can recognize symptoms and guide patients toward appropriate care. Three connected needs emerge from her argument:
- Clinician education: providers need the knowledge to discuss perimenopause and menopause and recognize when a patient may need further evaluation or care.
- Accessible services: training has limited reach if patients cannot find appropriate care, particularly in places where access is already constrained.
- Research investment: better evidence and more treatment development are needed to address gaps in women’s health.
What is Pivotal doing?
A documented step is a $10 million grant from Pivotal to The Menopause Society, announced by the Society on June 4, 2026. The grant is intended to support healthcare-professional education and outreach in areas where access to menopause care is most limited. The Society says its NextGen Now Initiative addresses training through clinical education, digital innovation, and research translation.
The announcement describes the funding’s purpose; it does not report that the grant has already improved diagnosis, treatment, or patient outcomes. The Menopause Society also states that most women spend more than one-third of their lives in menopause. That figure is the Society’s characterization in its announcement.
French Gates, Pivotal’s founder, said in the Society’s release: “For too long, perimenopause and menopause have been treated as invisible – something women are expected to manage quietly, without clear answers or support. That must change. By getting healthcare practitioners better training and investing in research, we can help ensure women have the care they need to live full and healthy lives,”
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How can someone look for a clinician who understands menopause?
The interview is about advocacy and care gaps, not a clinical guide or a directory of providers. The Menopause Society’s announcement of its education and outreach initiative is a starting point for understanding its work, but it does not establish specific local availability or recommend an individual clinician.
When contacting a healthcare professional, a patient can ask directly whether the provider evaluates and treats perimenopause and menopause symptoms, and whether they can discuss evidence-based options or refer to someone who can. French Gates’s broader point is that patients should be able to describe what they are experiencing and receive informed attention—not be left to navigate symptoms without support.
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Why the issue extends beyond menopause
French Gates frames menopause as one example of a larger problem: when women’s health is underrepresented in research and clinical practice, the consequences can affect care, reproductive health, and women’s ability to participate fully in society and work. Addressing that imbalance involves more than public conversation. It also depends on research priorities, clinician preparation, and sustained investment from institutions, government, and philanthropy.
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