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How can race affect
my menopause?

Research shows that race and ethnicity can impact how you experience the menopause.1–10

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  3. Race and menopause

Studies show that the age that women start their menopause can differ by race and ethnicity¹

For black
women

Women of Afro-Caribbean origin start menopause at an average age of

49.6 YEARS

nearly 2 years earlier than the UK average.1,2,11,12

For South-Asian
women

South-Asian women may also begin menopause at an earlier average of

46.7 YEARS

for Indian women5

and 47.2 YEARS

for Pakistan women.6

For

East-Asian
women

With menopause beginning around

49.5 YEARS

for Thai women3

and 50 YEARS

for Japanese women.4

For South-Asian
women

Indian women may also begin menopause at an earlier average of

46.7 YEARS5

For Pakistani women, it’s

47.2 YEARS6

The different symptoms experienced

Studies show that women of different races and ethnicities report different physical and mental symptoms.

For example, Black women are more likely to experience hot flushes than White women7, while Asian women report fewer overall menopause symptoms than women from Western countries, perhaps because in Asian cultures, social status often increases with age, and attitudes about menopause and ageing are generally much more positive.8

Studies also show that Black women typically start their menopause earlier than White women.9 Early onset of menopause increases the likelihood of developing heart disease later on, which puts this group at increased risk of this and other postmenopausal health risks such as diabetes.

Sadly, health inequality in the UK means that people of ethnic minority groups experience poorer general health and report poorer experiences in using health services than their White peers.10

This adds another layer of complexity when it comes to seeking support for menopausal women of colour.

  1. British Menopause Society. Menopause in ethnic minority women. Available at: https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20-BMS-TfC-Menopause-in-ethnic-minority-women-JUNE2023-A.pdf Accessed October 2025.
  2. Palmer JR, et al. Onset of Natural Menopause in African American Women. Am J Public Health. 2003;93:299–306.
  3. Chompootweep S, et al. The menopausal age and climacteric complaints in Thai women in Bangkok. Maturitas. 1993;17:63–71.
  4. Honjo H, et al. Country-specific information on the menopause in Japan. Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2022. Available at: https://www.gfmer.ch/Books/bookmp/185.htm Accessed October 2025.
  5. Kriplani A, et al. An overview of age of onset of menopause in northern India. Maturitas. 2005;52:199–204.
  6. Qazi RA. Age, pattern of menopause, climacteric symptoms and associated problems among urban population of Hyderabad, Pakistan. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2006;16:700–703.
  7. Grisso JA, et al. Racial differences in menopause information and the experience of hot flashes. J Gen Intern Med. 1999;14:98–103.
  8. Eun-Ok I, et al. Sub-ethnic differences in the menopausal symptom experience: Asian American midlife women. J Transcult Nurs. 2010;21:123–133.
  9. Harlow SD, et al. Disparities in reproductive aging and midlife health between black and white women: The study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Women’s Midlife Health. 2022;8:3.
  10. Wise J. British Medical Journal. Racial health inequality is stark and requires concerted action, says review. BMJ;2022;376:o382.
  11. HSE. Menopause Overview. Available at: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/menopause/#:~:text=This%20usually%20happens%20between%20the,few%20years%20before%20they%20stop. Accessed October 2025.
  12. NHS Inform. Menopause. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/ menopause-and-post-menopause-health/menopause Accessed October 2025

Brought to you by

MAT-BHUK-NP-0320 | December 2025

©2025 Besins Healthcare (UK) Ltd.

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