When Menopause Enters the Room and Men Are Still Expected to Be Silent
Let’s start with a question.
What happens when the woman you love begins to change and no one ever told you why?
Menopause is often framed as a “women’s issue” but for many Black and South Asian men, it is a silent storm that sweeps through the home, the bedroom and the heart without warning, without language and without support.
Men are taught to be strong. Stoic. Providers.
But what do you do when your partner’s body begins to betray her. Hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue and you feel like a stranger in your own relationship?
The Research Speaks But Are You Listening?
A recent survey by The Menopause Hub found that 60% of men said menopause negatively affected their relationship. Nearly half reported a decline in intimacy. But here is the twist. Black and South Asian men are even less likely to talk about it.
Why?
In their communities, menopause is taboo.
In South Asian households, it is whispered about, if at all. In Black families, it is often met with a shrug and a prayer. But for men? There is no roadmap. No language. No safe space.
Cultural Expectations vs Emotional Reality
Men are expected to “man up.”But inside, many of them feel confused, rejected and emotionally isolated.They see our partners change and they do not know how to help.
They do not know if it is them. They do not know if it is her. They do not know who to ask.
Andropause: The Other Side of the Coin
Here is what rarely gets said.
Men go through hormonal changes too. It is called andropause.Fatigue. Low mood. Reduced libido. Sound familiar?
But unlike menopause, andropause is gradual. It is quiet and it is often dismissed as “just aging.”
So while she’s burning up, you’re burning out and neither of you knows why.
So What Next?
You start talking.
You create spaces like BrothaTalk where Black and Brown men can ask questions without shame.
You learn that supporting her means understanding her biology and our own.
You challenge the silence.
You rewrite the script because healing Is not just hers. It is yours.
Time to Talk. Time to Learn. Time to Lead.
Share your thoughts below.
Have you experienced this shift in your relationship? What helped, or did not?
Source: My Networking Apparal
