New research commissioned by leading UK health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett (H&B) with YouGov reveals inequalities in menopause support for women from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds.
It was found that a significant proportion (51 per cent) of these women feel that current advice focuses too much on the experiences of white women and does not represent their own.
Additionally, 26 per cent find it difficult to access menopause support relevant to their specific backgrounds.
In response, H&B is taking steps to prioritise inclusivity in its menopause campaign, ‘Every Menopause Matters’ – which aims to spotlight the menopause ethnicity gap.
With the support of Olympian and menopause campaigner Michelle Griffith Robinson and expert Meera Bhogal, the retailer is launching initiatives to provide more diverse and personalised advice and content tailored to different needs, a press release said.
The recent research highlights that nearly one-third (31 per cent) of women believe that having access to a female healthcare professional of the same ethnicity would have made a difference in their menopause experience.
Furthermore, 15 per cent believe that communicating in their native language would have been beneficial.
To address these concerns, H&B is introducing a free, multi-language menopause online consultation service, making it the first retailer to do so.
Therefore, trained menopause advisors will offer guidance and symptom support in multiple languages, starting with Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, and Punjabi.
Cross-cultural research underscores the influence of race and cultural background on menopause experiences. For instance, black women typically experience menopause two years earlier than white European women and often face more severe and prolonged symptoms.
Asian women may experience different symptoms.
Recognising the need for tailored support, all 4,000 H&B colleagues have received extended training to enhance their ability to advise on menopause symptoms and solutions.
Lina Chan, director of Women's Health at H&B emphasises the ongoing efforts to break the taboo surrounding menopause and ensure that every woman's experience is represented.
She said collaborations with colleagues and campaigners aim to support women and amplify their voices both within the company and in the communities they serve.
“We know there is more to do to make the menopause conversation truly inclusive of all experiences, and this is our next step on that journey,” she added.
Sharing her own experience, menopause expert Meera Bhogal said, “In the south Asian community, women’s health isn’t talked about generally, so when I started experiencing perimenopausal symptoms at 40, I had no clue what was happening to me. I wish I had been equipped with the right information, which is why I really welcome the steps H&B is taking. I really want to help remove the stigma of the menopause and open-up conversations and help women from all communities be able to access the advice and support they need.”
As part of H&B’s Every Menopause Matters campaign, customers will find menopause content online in different languages, and in a pilot, its ad campaign will be translated into Hindi to reach and support a wider community of women for whom language may be a barrier.
Additionally, H&B has partnered with Wellbeing of Women, a prominent women's health charity, to establish The Women's Health Community Fund.
This fund aims to provide resources to underserved individuals and groups, with a focus on lower-income families, ethnically diverse communities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
The goal is to raise awareness, disseminate information, and meet the specific needs of each community concerning menopause.
Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, expresses enthusiasm about the collaboration with H&B and the launch of the fund. She said that the grants provided to underserved groups aim to improve awareness, education, and support regarding menopause within their respective communities.
Lindsay acknowledges the existing disparities in accessing menopause information and care and stresses the importance of addressing the specific needs of black, Asian, and other ethnic minority groups, as well as those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
She said, “We look forward to collaborating with communities throughout the UK to help ensure no woman or person is left behind when it comes to the menopause.”
The research comprised of a total sample size of 772 women aged 40 and above, who identified as black, Asian, or from other minority ethnic backgrounds.
Out of these respondents, 650 were currently experiencing menopause or were unsure about their menopausal status.
The fieldwork for the survey took place between May 30 and June 7, 2023, and was conducted online. To ensure representativeness, the figures were weighted to reflect the population of black, Asian, and minority ethnic women in Great Britain.
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