Pam's blog: Navigating menopause support
There is limited research on the menopause experiences of women from ethnic minority backgrounds living in the UK. The British Menopause Society writes that "there are differences in biological and hormonal changes in women of different races and ethnicity." There are also "significant differences among women’s perceptions, attitudes and expectations surrounding menopause, and this is hugely influenced by their race, culture and ethnicity."
They believe that a better understanding of women's experiences will lead to better support for women of all races and ethnicities, and care which provides improved symptom management.
Pam's story
I am a woman of south Asian heritage. I’ve worked for the voluntary sector in Sheffield for over 16 years. I’m now 53 years of age and have been feeling better recently after re-looking at my own menopause symptoms and getting a second opinion, which has improved my life quality.
I went through the menopause aged 47 and felt oestrogen tablets were great when I started taking them. I accepted the brain fog and loss of memory. Years later whilst doing my Masters and struggling still with memory and going to various events around the menopause, I decided to go back to my GP and after a year of trying other things I ended up with a referral to a menopause clinic.
This was a private clinic but through the NHS. I ended up eventually being offered a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) implant, which I paid for myself. The implant has made quite a big difference to my life. A blood test was done at the menopause clinic and it turned out my hormone levels were extremely low. The HRT Implant has restored these, hence feeling better. I feel I have a better quality of life moving forward. Going back 5 years when I first had oestrogen, I felt a big difference in 48 hours. It had not occurred to me that life could be better still and that I could feel how I did before menopause.
I feel very fortunate that I eventually got the referral to the menopause clinic. I’d like there to be more understanding around the ways menopause effects women from different ethnicities.
