Naomi Watts recreates the tampon ad she was in at 15 to raise awareness about menopause symptoms

Menopause marks the end of the menstrual cycle and a point when society writes off women. Naomi Watts is inspiring women to live fulfilling lives and continue chasing after their dreams. "The Watcher" actress, is trying to reject the notion that menopause means the end of aspirations and happiness, per TODAY.

Through being open about dryness and lubrication, she is increasing awareness about the realities of taboo menopausal symptoms. She portrayed a "woman's hormonal bookends" by replicating a tampon commercial she made when she was 15 and now putting in a modern touch to demonstrate this. A young Watts is shown in an Instagram image with her hand under her chin with the question "When can I start using tampons?" over her head. Watts is still in the same pose in the new image, but the question now says, "When can I start using lube?" 

She wrote in the caption, "What kind of Dry January have you had… Dry AF… am I right? Why is it that we can talk about periods and puberty with ease, but when it comes to menopause, and yes, drrrryness… we all get a little skittish." She then recounted shooting the Johnson & Johnson tampon commercial when she was 15 years old, "face forward... confident... curious." She added, "The other one is a take on what it could look like if we tackled midlife hormonal challenges with the same kind of boldness. When it comes to the 'adult version' of hormonal changes we're thrust into the shadows of secrecy and shame… with a total lack of information, plus misinformation!"

"Who knew we’d have to sneak a pump of the good stuff before some hanky panky?" she wrote. Watts then gave some advice from OB/GYN Dr. Jen Gunter on the benefits of using a lubricant, whether for sex or because "people may need it because they have dryness or other symptoms of menopause." According to Dr. Gunter, "Unfortunately, there is a lot of stigma about lube. Some people are even made to feel as if there is something wrong with them for liking and/or needing lube. It seems you’re either too wet or too dry for the patriarchy." Watts, the creator and Chief Creative Officer of the menopause beauty and wellness brand Stripes, encouraged individuals to be open and honest about their experiences with menopause.

Watts previously told TODAY that her experience with perimenopause, which began in her mid-30s, inspired her to develop additional products and services for women experiencing the same thing. She said, "Just because it’s the end of one’s reproductive life doesn’t mean to say you’re invisible or irrelevant. In fact, I wanted to have it be reminded that this is the beginning of a new point." She added, "Every woman will experience this at some point in their life — and obviously, they will be hit with it in different ways — but why not make it the best it can be? Even the better half?"