Menopause can be a difficult life transition, even under the best of circumstances. As reported in Ms.’ latest feature story, “Menopause Is Fueling A Movement: “The dearth of attention afforded to menopause and public commitment to understanding its trajectory, its treatments, its disparate impacts on women of color, and its role in long-term health and longevity [has] caused incalculable harm and suffering for a generation of women.”
For incarcerated people experiencing menopause, the harm is exponential. As the country ages, so too does the incarcerated population, at rates even faster. In California, the share of those over age 50 increased five-fold in the span of less than a decade; today, they comprise nearly a quarter of all people in prison there. In recent decades the overall rate of incarceration for women has grown significantly, ultimately outpacing the rate of incarceration for men. As a result, the number of women experiencing or soon experiencing menopause behind bars has skyrocketed to more than 40 percent of incarcerated women today.
Earlier this year, my organization, Impact Justice, partnered with UC Berkeley Haas’ Social Sector Solutions program to do a deep dive into the state of menopause education and care in prisons. We found critical gaps in awareness, education and resources for menopause care for incarcerated women and the medical staff tasked with supporting them.
Many women experiencing menopause must manage uncomfortable symptoms, but for incarcerated women, the environmental hazards of prison life—excessive heat and denial of fans, unhealthy food, harsh lighting, loud noises, lack of access to fresh air and sunlight, and limited opportunities to exercise—severely exacerbate these symptoms, reduce an individual’s ability to manage them, and significantly compromise their basic quality of life. Very few incarcerated women understand that perimenopause can start as early as during their 30s or that perimenopause or menopause is the cause underlying their insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, brain fog and hot flashes. And those who do seek care within the facility are likely to encounter nurses and doctors who are not aware of possible treatments.
For those undergoing perimenopause and menopause in prison, especially those who have been incarcerated for years or decades and cut off from even the minimal advances in social awareness, the disconnect can be dangerous or even deadly. Often, incarcerated women don’t know that the symptoms they’re experiencing, if left untreated, can lead to increased risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses. Those “lucky enough” to see a doctor while incarcerated—usually after a long wait—may not receive better care. Based on our research, in many prisons, physicians, and even some OB-GYNs, still base their opinions on outdated science about menopause hormone therapy, and newer drugs are most often not available. Our research also shows that once granted an examination, people are often shackled throughout these exams. Such deeply humiliating, traumatic experiences can discourage women from seeking healthcare while incarcerated or after release, setting the stage for potentially devastating and costly health outcomes.
The number of women experiencing or soon experiencing menopause behind bars has skyrocketed to more than 40 percent of incarcerated women today.
Our organization is tackling the problem head-on, beginning in California, a state with one of the largest prison populations in the country. Among the needed reforms are physician training guides, educational materials, and workshops that empower incarcerated women to better understand and advocate for their own health. Over the longer term, expanding access to quality perimenopause and menopause care through telehealth would enable even more tailored support.
As advocates, researchers and policymakers across the country and around the world adopt a more comprehensive approach to addressing the diverse needs of women, girls and transgender boys and men, it is imperative that we consider the entirety of the female lifecycle, including menopause.
As U.S.-based advocate and Soros justice fellow Omisade Burney-Scott, creator of the Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, notes, “For folks who are familiar with reproductive justice or reproductive rights … they need to see that menopause sits inside of that framework.”
Carolynn Harris, former Labour member of Parliament for Swansea East in the United Kingdom, puts it another way: “People are waking up to the fact that we have to find a better way of supporting women through the menopause. Women are enhanced coming through this process, but only if they get the support they need.”
Yes, it is exciting to see a menopause movement gain traction, but we can’t leave incarcerated women behind. They, too, deserve to get the support they need.
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