Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is devoting a hearing to a topic that affects millions but is poorly understood and widely ignored, including when it comes to federal research money. As the Democrat in charge of her party’s intensive effort to win the Senate majority, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand plans to use her platform to spotlight an issue that has been absent from the campaign trail, convening the first-ever congressional hearing on menopause.

In a recent interview, Ms. Gillibrand said she planned to use the hearing to make the case for investing more federal money in researching menopause, which she maintained was vastly under-researched and underfunded. She emphasized that many women suffer from debilitating symptoms—massive bleeding, severe mood swings, and chronic pain—that are dismissed as merely night sweats and hot flashes.

The hearing, titled "Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America," will be held by the Senate Committee on Aging. Ms. Gillibrand argued the issue is highly relevant to Democrats’ health care platform, noting that 75 million people are affected and the Trump administration has slashed medical research funding.

"We spend billions on Viagra to help men—" she asked, "what have you done to make sure women can have sex?" The senator shared stories from women like Lisa Humiston, 51, who suffers from burning mouth syndrome for five years, underscoring the urgent need for better research and treatment options.