Menopause is a natural life transition, but for many women of colour, it’s often misunderstood, under-researched, and under-discussed. While the physical symptoms may be similar, the experience of menopause is shaped by culture, race, and lived realities—including how women access care and how they are treated within health systems.
Self-care in menopause for women of colour can mean reclaiming rest, seeking out culturally rooted wellness practices, or simply being in spaces where we feel seen and safe. But navigating menopause in systems that often ignore or minimise their symptoms can make this challenging.
That’s where cultural safety matters. It’s not just about translation or representation—it’s about creating environments where women of colour are respected, their experiences are believed, and their health is treated with the seriousness it deserves. Cultural safety calls out the racism, bias, and exclusion that still exist in health care, and replaces them with care that listens, honours, and empowers.
For Black, Indigenous, Latina, South Asian, East Asian, and other racialised women, menopause may be experienced differently—and that diversity should be reflected in the information, support, and care available. Self-care during menopause means having access to spaces, stories, and services that affirm identity and foster belonging.
When care is culturally safe, women of colour are not just treated—they are valued. That’s the kind of care every woman deserves.
We can again turn to the New York Times article on the impact of menopause on women of colour: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/23/well/live/menopause-symptoms-women-of-color.html
And learn more about the fact that “Research has found that the duration, the frequency, the severity and even the types of symptoms can look different across races” here: in the SWAN Trial https://www.swanstudy.org/about/about-swan/ where “Researchers have followed a group of more than 3,000 women in perimenopause and menopause for decades and have found a few key differences: Black and Hispanic women reach menopause earlier than white, Chinese and Japanese women. They also experience certain menopausal symptoms for 10 or more years—almost twice as long as do white, Chinese and Japanese women.”
“Hot flashes, a common symptom of menopause, are often one of the most disruptive for all races, leading to night sweats that can disturb sleep and daily episodes that can get in the way of a woman’s ability to focus or work. But researchers have found that Black women are more likely to experience more intense and more frequent hot flashes; Black women also endure them for more years than those of other races. There are few quality studies on Asian American women—a group that includes women of Chinese, Korean, South Asian, and Filipino backgrounds—but some have found that they were more likely to experience chronic pain and anxiety than hot flashes.”
For women of colour, it is all the more important to find a provider who is familiar with racial differences in menopause, who will listen and hear you to provide the care you deserve.
Dr. Malhotra sees patients in person in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Click here for more information.