Menopause 2: Women Going Through Menopause.

It is an absolute pleasure, bringing you the 2^nd part of the menopause blog series, thank you for your patience. I have been talking to three amazing women who have beautifully shared their menopause journey and I am privileged to bring this to you in the next few words! If you have not yet read the first part of this series, why not do so, this is it!

Their stories will highlight:

Menopausal Changes

Menopause is a natural phenomenon that happens when a woman has stopped having her periods for a whole year. It can be surgically induced with removal of ovaries and or hysterectomy, this form of menopause causes more severe symptoms.

Bukola Jolugbo (Kiki), CEO of Joshua’s Army, first noticed menopausal changes at the age of 44, and the only seemingly information she had was her mum’s shared experience.

Temi Koleowo, a Growth and Innovation Consultant, coincidentally reported her first menopausal changes at the same age, she said, “I know there is a lot out there about menopause, but I did not take the time to find out more prior to the onset”

Mrs R, a high-ranking Finance and Banking woman, noticed her initial menopausal changes at the age of 41, although at the time she was not aware those changes were due to menopause.

Hispanics and Black women reach menopause earlier than their White counterparts, and research showed 3.7% of Black women had early menopause before the age of 45. This figure is also related to higher rates of hysterectomies among the Black ethnic group due to having abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis and larger, more severe cases of uterine fibroids. Hysterectomy is overused in Black women as the first line of treatment without first exploring other effective forms of treatments. 

Are You Well Supported?

Kiki, Temi & Mrs R, unanimously remarked they did not get adequate information from medical professionals prior to the onset of menopause. Kiki and Temi approached theirs GPs for information and support, they had hormonal profiling done; however, at the time of testing, the results did not indicate menopausal changes. They eventually stopped trying and the most information they had was through research and talking to friends.

Mrs R said, “no information whatsoever; nobody used to talk about it within my circle of friends, this was about 10 years ago and none of us knew what to look out for”.

This Healthy Ebony Woman blog series is discussing appropriate medical information to assist you through whichever stage of menopause you are at.

Phases of Menopause

Menopause does not just happen without some warning signs, these usually start with our premenopausal woman who has no change in her bleeding pattern to the early peri-menopausal lady who starts to see some changes in length of her bleed, which could be longer, shorter, lighter, or heavier.

Let me pause to reiterate the importance of checking with your GP/ANP if you notice any changes in your menstrual cycle to ensure there are no other medical reasons for these changes.

Nearly half (45%) of the women surveyed didn’t know the difference between perimenopause and menopause

Now back to our beautiful lady who is now in the late perimenopause stage of no bleeding for 3-11 months, this stage ends after 12-months of no period. Finally, she goes on to the natural menopausal phase of no bleeding in 12 months. Now tell me, can you spot where you are at?

Powerful Women and Menopause

Michelle Obama said of menopausal hot flushes “it was like somebody put a furnace in my core and turned it on high, and then everything started melting.”  Oprah Winfery also said, “I’ve discovered that this is your moment to reinvent yourself after years of focusing on the needs of everyone else.”

Guardian papers in August 2021 reported celebrities including Davina McCall and Lorraine Kelly, have joined efforts with The Menopause Charity to ensure women continue to get more information and support about this life-changing event

Would you like to know more about menopause symptoms and how these changes can affects a woman’s sex life? Then you do not want to miss the next article due out this time next week, where we will continue walking this journey with our three lovely ladies.

Do you need more support navigating through the phase you are at? Sign up to the HEW newsletter where you will get lots of practical healthy tips for the Healthy Ebony Woman! 

Yemisi x