Menopause is inherent to being a woman; it’s part of your very existence¹. However, even in 2025, we women continue to struggle with this phenomenon as it remains shrouded in taboos, innuendos, and misinformation². Even more so for Black women. You might not be aware of it, but we unconsciously act out the beliefs from the stories we inherited long ago. It’s easy for that dread and shame to continue to be part of your present menopause management.

So, today, I want to shine the light on the history of menopause. Seeing and learning about the treatment of women in menopause including Black women will provide valuable insight into your own reactions to your experience. By understanding the origins of your fears, you can regain control and reshape the narrative surrounding this natural transition. Let’s explore the past so we can move forward and change the conversation about menopause for ourselves and for future generations.

You, me, and most women grew up with scattered messages about menopause – a joke at a family dinner, a line in a movie, a negative warning from an older woman, or simple where no one talked about it. These messages and even the silence created the backdrop for our expectations. And expectations are powerful. They shape how we interpret every hot flash, every shift in mood, and our sense of self³.

So to understand menopause today, we begin in ancient Greece. The word “menopause” came from two Greek words: “men,” which means month, and “pauein,” which means stop—a simple definition⁴. But the world around that definition was complicated.

Women in ancient Greece lived short lives. Many did not live to age 34⁵. That meant a large part of the population never reached menopause. A society cannot study or understand what it rarely sees. So, menopause did not appear in myths, stories, or medical texts. The silence of that time created a shadow that stretched far into the future.

Back then, fertility was important. A woman who moved beyond childbearing years often stepped into a quieter social space. Her experience became invisible. And when an entire group is invisible, its stories stay untold and misunderstandings begin. But what happened next adds even more texture.

During the Middle Ages, doctors believed the body worked through four fluids known as humors: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm⁴. Health came from balance. Illness came from imbalance, and so was the view of menopause. A woman in menopause was described as “drying out” as she aged. Her “female heat” faded. While youth was linked to moistness and fertility, so menopause symbolized a kind of decline and sickness.

Imagine how our female ancestors felt hearing that her body had dried up. The message was subtle, yet powerful. It shaped how women saw themselves for centuries. These stories became emotional echoes, passed from mother to daughter without ever being named.

As we move into the 1500s and 1600s, we find the first medical descriptions of menopause. Doctors called it “the critical age.⁶” They believed the body entered a dangerous period full of risk. It was the first-time menopause was named in medical writing, yet it still carried fear. Doctors did not see it as a natural transition. They saw it as a threat.

This created a new layer in the story. Women were told their bodies shifted from safety to instability once their monthly cycles ended. The treatment ideas that followed reflected these beliefs.

During the 1700s, medical theories grew more detailed, yet the fear stayed. Doctors believed that menstrual blood, once no longer released, gathered in the body and caused harm. They feared that this trapped blood could poison the organs. So, they recommended treatments that aimed to “release heat” or “restore order,” such as bloodletting, leeches, purgatives, and special diets that cooled the womb⁶.

These treatments came from misunderstanding, not biology. They were attempts to control a natural transition without the tools to understand it. And here is where the story begins to take on a more profound tone. None of these stories came from women themselves. They came from people who did not live in women’s bodies.

By the 1800s, menopause terminology became official by a French physical, and social values increasingly shaped medical ideas⁷. Victorians believed women should remain calm, polite, and controlled. When menopause brought heat, emotion, or change, it seemed to challenge these rules. Doctors began linking menopause with hysteria, melancholy, and nervous disorders. Women who expressed distress were viewed as dangerous to the order of home life⁷.

This belief pushed many women into institutions. And their symptoms were labeled as weakness or instability. And their voices were dismissed. Yet as awful as that was Black women back then had a much more demeaning and difficult time.

The system was that our ancestors were property, and this dehumanization meant that their voices and concerns were systematically ignored by society. They had little to no access to proper medical care and had to endure treatments without the opportunity to ask questions or advocate for their needs. They were expected to toe the line and take what was given, including medication. Overlook their discomforts and push through. As enslaved people, their lives and health were not considered necessary.

By the time we reach the 20th century, menopause already carried centuries of myths and fears. And this brings us to a turning point.

The early 1900s introduced a new idea. Doctors described menopause as a deficiency, a condition that needed medical correction. They believed the body lost something essential once the ovaries slowed down, and this created the framework for the first hormone treatments. By the 1930s-40s, Estrogen pills emerged as the first form of hormone replacement, a way to restore balance⁷. Many women found relief, and medical research expanded. And menopause shifted from a mysterious crisis into a medical condition.

By the 1970s, menopause became fully medicalized in many Western countries. Pharmaceutical companies promoted hormone replacement therapy solutions even while having adverse warnings for sleep, mood, and weight⁷. Some of these treatments helped women. But they also shaped an entire culture of belief: menopause is something to fix.

Today, we cannot overlook the fact that remnants of these historical views continue to affect women, particularly black women. Many continue to have their menopause concerns dismissed by medical professionals, enduring a stigma that pressures them to hide their symptoms and falsely uphold the notion of “staying strong.” Believing that menopause is a medical condition and that only medicine is the solution. We must challenge these attitudes.

Life stages are vital to our understanding of ourselves. Anthropologists call these moments threshold stages – points in life when identity shifts¹. Menopause fits this idea well. It is a crossroad into a new life stage, not a time of sickness. It is the wake-up call to your changing needs, your changing self.

This new stage of life needs preparation. It needs understanding. It needs awareness. It requires change. What I want to highlight is that menopause is not something to fix. It is a process to understand on a personal level.

Though history shaped your beliefs and expectations, you now have the chance to choose new beliefs – ones rooted in truth and knowledge about your personal and unique transition, especially as a Black woman.

Here’s what I mean by this:

Every symptom is an echo of what is happening internally and also externally around your choices and situations in your environment. Cultivating awareness to understand the messages behind your symptoms is vital. Lifestyle changes can help you feel more grounded. Movement supports stress. Reducing sugar supports mood and energy. Clearing toxins promotes hormonal balance. These steps do not erase the transition; they make the body feel supported through it, and, coupled with herbal remedies if needed, further support balance and cool the heat within¹. For women who think they need additional support, hormone replacement can provide some stability and relief. But it isn’t a solution. Awareness and lifestyle support are. Together, they are the backbone of your wellness foundation.

You deserve to walk through menopause with information that helps, support, and confidence. You deserve an understanding of this new period of your life that lifts you rather than weighs you down.

Charmaine

The information presented here is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as medical advice. Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any products or lifestyle changes have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You should consult your health practitioner before changing your diet, taking supplements, or starting any exercise or health program.

1. Peacock, K., Carlson, K., & Ketvertis, K. M. Menopause. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29939603/
2. Singh, A., Kaur, S., & Walia, I. A historical perspective on menopause and menopausal age. Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine (Hyderabad). 2002;32(2):121–135. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15981376/
3. Lewis, T. T., Cogburn, C. D., & Williams, D. R. Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: Scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2015;11:407–440. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7334883/
4. Wikipedia contributors. Humorism. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.br <brhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism</br
5. Blümel, J. E., et al. Aging, menopause, and life expectancy in women: A global perspective. Climacteric. 2016;19(2):109–116. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5558404/
6. Faubion, S. S., & Sood, R., & Kapoor, E. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: Management strategies for the clinician. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2017;92(12):1842–1849. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6780820/
7. Blümel, J. E., et al. Aging, menopause, and life expectancy in women: A global perspective. Climacteric. 2016;19(2):109–116. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5558404/
8. Lewis, T. T., Cogburn, C. D., & Williams, D. R. Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: Scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2015;11:407–440. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7334883/