There’s power in the pause!
Since what seems like the beginning of time, girls and women of all races have been warned about the change, also known as, menopause, as something to dread or fear. Rarely, if ever, were dialogues around menopause embraced. And her little sister perimenopause wasn’t even part of the conversation until very recently. (Thanks, Tabitha Brown!)
To make these matters even more layered, most Black women are already stressed regarding all things concerning our reproductive health. So, asking any additional questions at those pesky GYN visits can feel like a burden. The stigma of menopause can cause feelings of shame, confusion and even guilt. Beyond hot flashes, too many of us are clueless on what to expect.
Thankfully Joy D. Calloway, President & CEO of The Black Women’s Health Initiative (BWHI) intentionally works hard to shift those antiquated narratives. BWHI recently released the results of a comprehensive study debunking myths and shedding helpful insight around this topic. A Black Women’s Health Imperative Survey is the largest national survey on the lived experiences of Black women in menopause. More than 1,500 participants shared their experiences in the largest online cross-functional survey of Black women ages 30-65.
The survey and thus the results are revolutionary and drives home the crucial point that factoring race and cultural nuance are essential whenever the health and wellness of Black women is on the table.
The survey’s preliminary findings indicate:
- 52% of respondents said they did not know which medical recommendations to follow.
- 43% reported being discriminated against or treated unfairly when seeking healthcare.
- 42% reported struggling with depression during this stage of life.
We caught up with Calloway to get a deeper understanding of how Black women can better advocate for their physical and mental health, common menopause and perimenopause symptoms beyond hot flashes (There are many more!) and why there is power in the “pause”.
ESSENCE: It is surprising that this survey is the first of its kind.
JOY D. CALLOWAY: Isn’t that something? Because think about it: For so many years, Black women’s health has not been a concern to the powers that be. We’ve got all these medications, all these interventions, all of these remedies out there, [but] they’ve never been studied on Black women. There are certain things about our bodies and DNA, how our symptoms show up in the reality of our lives, specifically here in this country, toxic stress and trauma and racism impact and have been shown to alter in many cases our cellular structure. So, if you’re going to offer me a pill, I need to know that you’ve tested it on other Black American women.
ESSENCE: All of this! So, tell us about some of the survey findings that surprised you and will no doubt surprise most of us.
CALLOWAY: We found so many fascinating things! 54% of the women surveyed said they did not have enough information on how to manage their symptoms effectively. One other thing that surprised us and really blew me away is that 52% that said they didn’t know which recommendations to follow, 42% that reported having depression, then there were [man] who didn’t know about the other symptoms…
ESSENCE: Besides hot flashes!
CALLOWAY: Right. That’s all we talk about is high flashes. But there is also brain fog, gastrointestinal issues, joint pain, irritability, mental lethargy, levels of depression, vaginal dryness/intimacy issues and even cold flashes.
These women were educated, 75% of them have bachelor’s or above, many with advanced degrees. They were on the higher socioeconomic scale, earning $100,000 and above. We’re talking people who were making some decent money and were formally educated. And I say formally, purposely, because my eighth grade educated grandma was wiser than most of the women I know. So, you know what I mean when I say formally educated, we’re talking about women one would expect have all the information they need. They have good insurance, they have access to your [perceived to be best] physicians, they can take time off their job to go to the doctor. You know what I mean.
ESSENCE: Absolutely. And yet we are collectively still so uniformed and ill equipped to navigate this phase of our lives.
CALLOWAY: Because if this group of women are struggling, what about our SNAP sisters who just lost her benefits? What about my sisters who are working three jobs trying to take care of multiple children? What about my sisters on the other side of the spectrum? That is where my heart got wrenched.
ESSENCE: Whew.
CALLOWAY: Another common misconception, and a little bit of a surprise to me, is that you don’t have to start talking about this until your late 40s or 50s.
ESSENCE: That is probably a very common misconception.
CALLOWAY: Our studies are showing, as we’re hearing from women, that sisters are experiencing perimenopause symptoms earlier [than their peers from other races]. Some of our participants reported experiencing symptoms for 9+ years.
ESSENCE: How can Black women stay better informed?
CALLOWAY: It’s her responsibility to be the expert, we have to be the expert on our bodies. We must be informed and then bring that [knowledge] to the people who’ve spent years training and learning about medicine, hopefully learning about the menopause experience specifically in Black women and Black cultures. Then together we can get through this thing and get to the other side. What we want to do is move away from the shame and blame of midlife crisis. This is a reset.
ESSENCE: We love that mindset.
CALLOWAY: We want to move people away from this horrible, God awful mindset that menopause has to be terrible. There are some things that aren’t fun and aren’t cute. If you know this going in, you know what you can do to remedy them. You’re connected in community and looking at this as a privilege. I have friends who did not make it to the privilege of menopause because they died. It is a privilege to [experience menopause]. We get to determine what this part of our lives are like, not society and not patriarchy. I’m more valuable to the world today than I was in my childbearing years. I did my part. I made my one baby and raised her well. I honor the sisters who can do it five and six times, but my value as a human being is wide open.
Because I’m at this age and stage in my life and I feel the way I do from a confidence perspective, I am more valuable to the world and most importantly to me and the Diaspora today at 57 than I was at 37 or 27.
ESSENCE: Amen! How can our audience stay abreast of BWHI’s work?
CALLOWAY: Black Women’s Health Imperative is here to be both a source of science, evidence-backed information, and here to be a subject matter expert. If your readers are in positions where they need someone to come and speak or use the study or show the film and/or as a solutions partner, we want to do all of that. We’ve done the research and we’re willing to present it. We’re subject matter experts on all things Black women’s health on some level or another. We’re here for you. We want to be part of the solution building in your communities. We want every Black woman in this country to know who we are when they have a need for us.
Visit Power in the Pause for more information.