The transition to menopause can be disorienting and confusing. Each year, more than a million women in the United States face their declining reproductive years little guidance on what to expect before, during and after – experiencing a bout of seemingly unrelated symptoms, from hair loss to anxiety and depression.
Despite the fact that 100 percent of people with uteruses and ovaries will reach this milestone, less than one in five obstetricians and gynaecologists report having received formal training on how best to help people deal with it.
Race and socioeconomic status further complicate matters. A growing body of evidence has found that black, Latina, and Asian women are likely to experience menopause differently than white women: their symptoms may be more intense or last longer, and some symptoms (such as joint pain or anxiety) is perhaps less well known than the textbook hot flashes and brain fog. And people on lower incomes may be less likely to have access to care and treatment.
Little is known about how or why race and socioeconomic status may play a role in menopause, largely because older women have long been overlooked in medical studies. “Menopause has certainly received much less research attention than, say, pregnancy,” says Dr. Rebecca Thurston, director of the Women’s Biobehavioral Health Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. “The research that gets funded is the research that gets done.”
Here’s why The Times wants to hear about women of color’s experiences with menopause: capturing your stories, or the stories of someone you love, will shine a light on some of the differences in symptoms and treatment. What were hot flashes like? Did you find a doctor who took your concerns seriously? Were you prescribed hormonal treatments? Have you experienced symptoms you had never heard of?
Whatever phase of the transition you are in, we would like to hear from you. And we only publish these stories with your permission.