What We Do Not Say About Menopause May Be Hurting the Women Who Follow Us
Every woman who lives long enough will experience menopause. Yet millions still enter one of life's most significant biological transitions with little preparation, inconsistent support and the belief that it is something to endure quietly rather than understand openly.
The science matters, but so does the culture surrounding it.
For many women across the African, Caribbean and wider Black Diaspora, conversations about women's health have historically been shaped by far more than biology. Migration, economic survival, racial inequality, faith, family responsibility and the expectation to remain strong often left little room to discuss personal health.
Many women from the Windrush Generation and those who followed were building lives, raising families and overcoming systemic barriers in workplaces and healthcare systems that were not always designed with them in mind.
"Silence was not always a cultural preference. Often, it was the cost of survival."
That history continues to influence how menopause is understood today. Many Black women describe growing up hearing references to "the change" without anyone explaining what it meant. Symptoms such as anxiety, disrupted sleep, memory lapses, joint pain or overwhelming fatigue were often dismissed as simply getting older, working too hard or something to be endured. Mothers protected daughters from many things, but menopause was rarely one of the conversations that was openly passed down.
The result is an intergenerational knowledge gap.
According to the NHS, the average age of menopause in the UK is around 51, although perimenopause commonly begins several years earlier, often during a woman's forties.
Symptoms vary considerably and can include hot flushes, sleep disturbance, anxiety, low mood, brain fog, joint pain, urinary symptoms and changes in confidence.
These symptoms develop gradually and differ from one woman to another, many women spend years searching for answers before menopause is recognised as a possible cause.
Research also suggests that menopause is not experienced equally across all populations.
Findings from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) indicate that African American women, on average, experience vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes for longer than White women and may encounter menopause earlier. While further research is needed across Black British, African and Caribbean communities, these findings reinforce the importance of ensuring research, healthcare and workplace policies reflect the diversity of women's experiences rather than assuming one journey fits everyone.
"Menopause is not simply a health issue. It is also a leadership issue, a workplace issue and an economic issue."
Women in their forties and fifties are often at the height of their professional influence while simultaneously supporting children, caring for ageing parents, mentoring younger colleagues and leading organisations or businesses. When menopause affects sleep, concentration, confidence or emotional wellbeing, it can influence decision-making, career progression and financial security.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has found that many women report menopause symptoms affecting their performance at work, with some reducing their hours or leaving employment because they do not feel adequately supported. Losing experienced women at the peak of their careers represents a loss not only for individuals but for organisations and the wider economy.
"The conversation is changing."
The NHS recognises Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) as the most effective treatment for many menopause symptoms for women for whom it is clinically appropriate. Employers are increasingly developing menopause policies. More healthcare professionals are receiving specialist training. Women are sharing their experiences more openly than previous generations ever could.
"The most profound shift is happening between generations."
Many younger women are now learning about menopause through podcasts, books, workplace conversations and social media years before they experience their first symptoms. For the first time in history, a generation may enter menopause better informed than their mothers and grandmothers were. That is not simply progress in healthcare. It is progress in culture.
"Knowledge changes conversations. Conversations change confidence. Confidence changes outcomes."
Menopause should no longer be whispered about behind closed doors. It should be understood within our families, recognised in our workplaces and supported by healthcare that reflects the diversity of women's lived experiences. Every informed conversation has the potential to close the knowledge gap and ensure the next generation inherits understanding instead of uncertainty.
The greatest legacy we can leave is not simply surviving in silence, but ensuring the women who follow us never have to.
“How openly was menopause discussed in your family growing up and what conversation do you think the next generation deserves to inherit?”
