Menopause inequalities: Do they matter to you?
Unfortunately, there’s not much data on menopause among African-American women and other minority groups.
It’s widely recognized that women, in general, have been neglected in research and healthcare, and this is especially true for menopausal women.
Black women experiencing menopause have been particularly neglected.
A recent scientific review, based on 25 years of research, found that Black women typically reach menopause about 8.5 months earlier than White women and suffer from more severe symptoms like hot flashes, depression, and sleep problems.
Despite this, they are less likely to receive hormone therapy and other medical or mental health services than White women are.
Structural racism, which affects access to resources and opportunities, is believed to be a major factor in these disparities and even in symptoms experienced by women.
Research presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society reiterated these findings, showing that Black women still receive less treatment for menopause symptoms than White women do, even though they experience more severe symptoms.
Additionally, Black women may be less likely to report their symptoms or to acknowledge their effects on daily life. And there’s a tendency among Black women to normalize or downplay their menopausal symptoms, even when they significantly affect their well-being.
Menopause can be hard and you shouldn’t ignore it.
If you are feeling symptoms and aren’t sure whether they are related to menopause or not, do find out.
Make an appointment with your doctor.
PREPARING TO SEE THE DOCTOR:
- Make a list of symptoms you’re experiencing with the most important to you on the top and take the list with you to your appointment
- If there’s no time to address all the symptoms on your list then make another appointment to discuss the others at another visit
- Don’t settle for an answer like, “this is normal and it will pass”, or worse. There are many ways to improve your symptoms and you should not have to suffer. Be your own health advocate, ask questions and demand informed, not dismissive, answers.
It’s important that care be individualized since each of us experiences menopause in our own way, but it is also important for your care that you have an individualized conversation with your physician – it’s your appointment, it’s your visit, it’s your symptoms, it should be your agenda (not the doctor’s).
For more resources on communities talking about the experience of Black women in menopause, check out:
Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI)
Black Girls Guide to Menopause
Black Women in Menopause
Menopause Whilst Black
Black Menopause and Beyond
The Black Menopause Collective
Menopausal Black Woman