Leh We Talk Bout Us- Caribbean Women

Menopause research is hard to come by- for Black and Brown women it’s thin, and research on Caribbean women is almost non-existent. But, our sisters in Tobago (yes- like Trinidad & Tobago) took part in a study that we can learn from. It was not about Menopause; it was set up to look at heart health and body fat. Researchers asked every woman about her life as a woman- children, periods, and when those periods stopped. That is the important data we can use to talk menopause. 

Between 2019 and 2023, 776 women aged 40 plus signed up for the Tobago Women's Health Study, run by the University of Pittsburgh, working with the Tobago Health Studies Office in Scarborough . To me, that’s a decent number of Islanders signing up to do anything (except maybe Carnival). The similarities in that population of women is why I think this Study is worth mentioning. We see the similarities in race, origin, food, climate and lifestyle- all of which impact health. 

About 95% of Tobagonians have African roots. They cook callaloo with dasheen leaves, okra, coconut milk, and crab. They eat crab and dumplings with green banana and cassava on the side. 

About 75% of Crucians are Black (per the 2020 Census). We have our kallaloo, fungi, saltfish and johnnycake. Same West African roots in the pot. 

There are similarities in our lives too. Most of the Tobagonian women had children, starting young, around age 23 on average. Almost none of them had ever smoked. About 7 in 10 had high blood pressure. More than half were obese. About 1 in 6 had diabetes. And most got only about 12 minutes a day of real exercise. 

Does that sound like anybody you know? 

Here's the finding that to me is most important- of the 531 women whose periods had stopped (so menopause), the average reported age was 49. It was based on memory, but it’s the best data we have to go on. Who is really tracking in a journal the last day of their period, right? And we know many health records miss this too. 

Comparing that to a large U.S. study- White women reached menopause at about 53 on average. In the UK, the average age is 51. The women of Tobago got there about two to four years sooner. Two to four years may not sound like much, but it changes the health risks. 

An earlier menopause means more years without the hormone estrogen which protects your heart, and bones. A woman can lose up to 20% of her bone strength in the five to seven years after menopause. 

The American Heart Association says the years after menopause bring a much higher risk for heart disease. Other research links an earlier menopause to a higher risk of heart disease and dying sooner. 

Now let’s think about those Tobagonian women, who are similar to us. 70% already had high blood pressure add an earlier menopause to that, and we have much more to worry about . 

I like to talk Science, and this blog post may not be the most scientific. I am making assumptions about correlations in data, and that’s not the ideal approach. But it highlights the need for more studies on our own women. Tobago proved it can be done, but the researchers noted that most research (about reproductive health linking to brain health) is conducted in North America, Europe, and Asia, leaving a significant gap in understanding how these factors affect women of African ancestry in the Caribbean. Until there are more, we have to keep our own records, and be our own advocates. 

I have a bit of homework for you- especially if you have not reached menopause yet. Ask the women in your family, your mother, your aunties, your older sisters, how old they were when their periods stopped. Ask if they had surgery. Write it down. Your menopause is likely to come around the same age as your mother's or your older sisters'. That makes their story part of your plan, and once you know that- you know what to expect. 

Keep reading these blogs- I’ll keep you in the know. 

If you’re interested in learning more, I created a Guided Menopause Journal to educate you on the whole menopause transition, plus help you build your own strategy. Until the research and policies catch up to us in the Caribbean, we can do our own learning and planning for a healthier life. 

See you next week. While you're waiting, check out Cheeky_Geeky on YouTube. 

Be Good. 

I Gone, 

LaVaughn (hello@cheekygeekymenopause.com)