MenopauseTalk

Perimenopause almost killed her.

Not an exaggeration.

Not a metaphor.

𝐀 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐈𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭. 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐝.

Menopause Champion, Author and Entrepreneur Dr. (Hon) Marva Williams shared with Sky News, how she nearly lost her life because her perimenopausal symptoms were not understood.

Because her pain was minimised.

Because her 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 made her invisible in the data — and dispensable in the system.

But instead of staying silent, she chose to rise.

And now she’s calling 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 to rise with her.

The Co-Founder of Shhh...Menopause Wellness is launching a 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝-𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 for Black women in midlife.

The stories collected will become a government White Paper — an official document that can influence real change in policy, research and healthcare.

This is about—-Advocacy. Visibility. Equity. And OUR VOICES being heard.

Let’s be clear:

Too many of us are suffering in silence.

Too many of us are being misdiagnosed or dismissed.

Too many of us are dying because the system wasn’t built with us in mind.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

↳ It’s about pushing for inclusive research.

↳ It’s about demanding culturally competent care.

↳ It’s about breaking the generational silence in our families and communities.

Because this is bigger than mood swings and hot flashes.

For some of us — it’s 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.

If we want 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲, we must 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐮𝐩 and 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫.

Take the survey here: http://bit.ly/intl-menopause-race-survey

♻️Share it with every Black woman you know — friend, sister, mother, nan, daughter, aunty, niece, cousin, colleague and peers.

Let’s show up. Let’s be counted. Let’s change the narrative — together.

Dr (Hon) Marva Williams, Donna Spence and Andrea R. Malcolm are Co-Authors of: “40 Days of Menopause and Faith.”