Black Women’s Menopause

“African American women experience distinct differences
in physical, psychological, social,
and quality of life measures during menopause”.1

Umbrella

What may the Black Women’s Menopause Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Change of Life
  • Early Menopause
  • Going Through the Menopause
  • Induced Menopause
  • Menopausal/Menopause Transition
  • Menopause
  • Natural Menopause
  • Perimenopause
  • Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause
  • Postmenopause
  • Premature Menopause
  • Second Half of Your Life
  • Surgical Menopause
  • The Change
  • The Change of Life
  • The Menopause Years
  • The Menopause-Related Years
  • The Three Stages of Menopause
  • Turning St Catherine’s Corner

Definition

What is menopause?

DotS the definition of menopause may vary. In Menopause: Overview the World Health Organization’s definition is:

“Natural menopause is deemed to have occurred after 12 consecutive months without menstruation for which there is no other obvious physiological or pathological cause and in the absence of clinical intervention”.2

Menopause Experience

What is known about black women’s experiences in menopause?

In A Review of African American Women’s Experiences In Menopause: Importance and Objective, published November 2022, the authors explain:

“Little is known and reported about the experiences of African American women as they transition to and experience menopause. Accepted norms are based on the experience of a predominantly White population”.3

Different Differences

Do black women have unique experiences in menopause?

In A Review of African American Women’s Experiences In Menopause: Discussion and Conclusion the authors also note:

“African American women experience distinct differences in physical, psychological, social, and quality of life measures during menopause. Increasing awareness about the unique menopause experiences of African American women is critically important to improve the health of this underserved population”.4

Menopause Age

Is there an association between Black women and menopause age?

In Menopause Is Different for Women of Color: What A Landmark Study Reveals, published 14 September 2025, the author includes:

“In the US, the median age for reaching menopause (the point at which a person has gone for 12 consecutive months without a period) is 51. The research in SWAN shows that Black women reach menopause at 49, about two years earlier than the national median age. Other SWAN data shows that Hispanic/Latina women reach menopause two years earlier than the median age as well. It also appears that Black women spend more time in the menopausal transition than white women do”.5

Different Differences

What are some differences during the menopausal transition of Black women compared to White women?

On page seven in A Roadmap for Change: Black Women’s National Health Policy Agenda 2025–2026 – Research At BWHI: Black Women’s Perimenopause and Menopause Survey the (United States) Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) elaborate on:

“The Research: During the menopausal transition, Black women often experience an earlier onset, longer duration, and more severe symptoms, such as hot flashes, which affect 79% of Black women compared to 65% of White women. Black women are also less likely to seek medical care or utilize available resources for menopausal symptoms, though the reasons for this disparity are poorly understood”.6

SWAN Study

What was included in the Conclusion in Disparities In Reproductive Aging and Midlife Health Between Black and White Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), published 08 February 2022?

Included in the Conclusion Disparities In Reproductive Aging and Midlife Health Between Black and White Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN): Conclusion the authors elaborate on:

“As summarized in this review, SWAN has documented that Black women’s experience of reproductive aging differs from that of White women and that Black women enter midlife with a more adverse cardio-metabolic profile and more physical limitations. Consequently, early interventions on blood pressure, LDL, and waist circumference in midlife may be key to reducing Black women’s CVD risk, as would reductions in the disparities in treatment for hypertension. Increased attention to the role of structural factors and discrimination on midlife health is also warranted”.7

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with my menopause?

In Menopause Is Different for Women of Color: What Does This Mean for Women of Color?, recently updated 14 September 2025, the author explains:

“You may be experiencing perimenopause symptoms sooner than you expected to. Now is a good time to find a gynecologist who specializes in menopause who can help you through this transition. For many women, perimenopause is a critical opportunity to make some lifestyle changes to support your health through the latter half of your life. It’s time to start putting yourself first, so you can serve as the elder your community needs”.8

In What Is Perimenopause and Menopause? When To See Your Doctor the JH explain:

“Talk to your doctor if you are worried about:

  • Irregular periods
  • Heavy bleeding
  • Bleeding after menopause
  • Increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
  • Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, that interfere with your daily life”.9

The (United States) Mayo Clinic encourage us to seek help:

“Before deciding on any form of treatment, talk with your healthcare professional about your choices and the risks and benefits of each. Review your choices yearly. Your needs and the treatment choices may change”.10

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Black Women’s Menopause?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Black Women’s Menopause?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. A Review of African American Women’s Experiences In Menopause
  2. A Roadmap for Change: Black Women’s National Health Policy Agenda 2025–2026
    Black Women’s Menopause
  3. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  4. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  5. Black Menopausal Women Almost 5 Times Less Likely To Be on HRT Than White Women
  6. Black Women and Menopause: Changing the Conversation Together
  7. Black Women’s Health Imperative
  8. Black Women’s Health Study
  9. Black Women’s Menopause Survey [Black Women’s Health Imperative, United States]
    Black Women’s Menopause
  10. Bleeding After Menopause? Here’s What You Need To Know
  11. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  12. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
  13. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Menopause Experience
  14. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  15. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding—When To See A Clinician
  16. Correction: Disparities In Reproductive Aging and Midlife Health Between Black and White Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
  17. Could It Be Perimenopause? How Hormones Influence the Brain
  18. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  19. Does Everyday Discrimination Account for the Increased Risk of Vasomotor Symptoms In Black Women?: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
  20. Experts Answer Your Menopause Questions In New Video
  21. FDA Expert Panel on Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women
  22. Fibroids.bwhi.org
  23. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  24. Find A Practitioner [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  25. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  26. First Symptoms of Menopause
  27. Forward [Foundation of Women’s Health Research and Development, United Kingdom]
  28. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  29. HRT Questions Answered
  30. Handling Hot Flushes and Night Sweats| Dr Louise Newson
  31. Health Care Concerns In Women At Midlife: Differences By Race, Ethnicity, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status
  32. Here’s What You Need To Know About Menopause [Video]
  33. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  34. How Does Race Affect Menopause Care?
  35. How To Manage Menopausal Symptoms
  36. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Menopause
    Black Women’s Menopause
  37. IMS Interview Series for Women: Lifestyle Medicine With Prof. Rossella Nappi | For Women
  38. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause] [Other Languages and Formats]
  39. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause
  40. Making Menopause Work
  41. Managing Menopause Symptoms [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  42. Menopause
  43. Menopause
  44. Menopause
  45. Menopause
    Black Women’s Menopause
  46. Menopause
    Black Women’s Menopause
  47. Menopause Basics
  48. Menopause Hormone Therapy and Complementary Alternative Medicine, Quality of Life, and Racial/Ethnic Differences: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
  49. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Black Women’s Menopause
  50. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    Black Women’s Menopause
  51. Menopause and Mental Health
  52. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    Black Women’s Menopause
  53. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024
  54. Menopause – Multiply Languages
  55. Menopause – The Change – Booklet
    Black Women’s Menopause
  56. Menopause: Things You Can Do
  57. Menstrual Calendar
  58. Midlife Weight Gain
    Black Women’s Menopause
  59. Monitoring Menopause Symptoms
  60. My Periods Have Changed. Is Menopause Around the Corner?
  61. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  62. Myth vs. Fact Menopause and Perimenopause
  63. National Women’s Health Week [11-17 May 2025]: Navigating the Road to Menopause
    Black Women’s Menopause
  64. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  65. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
    Black Women’s Menopause
  66. New Menopause Information for First Nations Communities [Australia]
  67. Perimenopause
  68. Perimenopause
  69. Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
  70. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
  71. Perimenopause and Menopause Toolkit
  72. Postmenopause
  73. Power In the Pause [Black Women’s Health Imperative, United States]
  74. Q&A: What To Know When Treating Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ+ Patients During Menopause
  75. Racial Disparities In Menopause
  76. Resources: Fact Sheets [Multiply Languages]
    Black Women’s Menopause
  77. Resources: Infographics
    Black Women’s Menopause
  78. Resources: Posters
    Black Women’s Menopause
  79. Self-Advocacy In Perimenopause and Menopause
    Black Women’s Menopause
  80. Shedding Light on the Menopause Experience and Demystifying Treatment
  81. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  82. Surprising Menopause Symptoms | Dr Louise Newson Live
  83. Systematic Exclusion At Study Commencement Masks Earlier Menopause for Black Women In the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
  84. The Menopause Resource Hub [Black Women’s Health Imperative, United States]
  85. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  86. Top Menopause Questions Answered: Hormones, Bones, Sex & Sleep
  87. Treatments for Menopause
  88. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
  89. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  90. Webinars: Lifestyle Medicine
  91. Webinars: Symposia – What’s Hot? Options for Treatment of Hot Flushes 2025
  92. Webinars: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  93. What Is Perimenopause and Menopause?
  94. What Is the Difference Between Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause?
  95. What Is the Menopause?Black Women’s Menopause
  96. When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning
  97. Where Menopause Hits Hardest
  98. Why Is Bleeding So Heavy?
  99. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
  100. World Menopause Day 2025 [18 October]
    Black Women’s Menopause

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Williams, M.; Richard-Davis, G., Williams, P. L.; Christensen, L.; Ward, E.; Schrager, S. A Review of African American Women’s Experiences In Menopause: Importance and Objective. November 2022. https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2022/11000/A_review_of_African_American_women_s_experiences.16.aspx Accessed: 10 December 2025
  2. Menopause: Overview. 16 October 2024. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause Accessed: 10 December 2025
  3. Williams, M.; Richard-Davis, G., Williams, P. L.; Christensen, L.; Ward, E.; Schrager, S. A Review of African American Women’s Experiences In Menopause: Discussion and Conclusion. November 2022. https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2022/11000/A_review_of_African_American_women_s_experiences.16.aspx Accessed: 10 December 2025
  4. Williams, M.; Richard-Davis, G., Williams, P. L.; Christensen, L.; Ward, E.; Schrager, S. A Review of African American Women’s Experiences In Menopause: Importance and Objective. November 2022. https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2022/11000/A_review_of_African_American_women_s_experiences.16.aspx Accessed: 10 December 2025
  5. Velez, A. Menopause Is Different for Women of Color: What A landmark Study Reveals. 14 September 2025. https://www.endocrineweb.com/menopause-different-women-color Accessed: 10 December 2025
  6. A Roadmap for Change: Black Women’s National Health Policy Agenda 2025–2026 – Research At BWHI: Black Women’s Perimenopause and Menopause Survey. 2025:7. Black Women’s Health Initiative https://join.bwhi.org/hubfs/pdfs/BWHI_NHPA_2025-26_v5.pdf?_gl=1*1li4c5j*_ga*NTAzNDUzNzcwLjE3NjUzMTQ4MjY.*_ga_0JH1TMC1K0*czE3NjUzMTQ4MjYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjUzMTQ4MjYkajYwJGwwJGgw Accessed: 10 December 2025
  7. Harlow, S.D., Burnett-Bowie, SA.M., Greendale, G.A. et al. Disparities In Reproductive Aging and Midlife Health Between Black and White women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Women’s Midlife Health 8, 3 (2022) https://womensmidlifehealthjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40695-022-00073-y Accessed: 10 December 2025
  8. Velez, A. Menopause Is Different for Women of Color: What Does This Mean for Women of Color? 14 September 2025. https://www.endocrineweb.com/menopause-different-women-color Accessed: 10 December 2025
  9. What Is Perimenopause and Menopause? When To See Your Doctor. Last Updated: 28 August 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 April 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 10 December 2025
  10. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 10 December 2025
Last Updated: 10 December 2025 – Last Revised: 10 December 2025

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
/by