The menopausal experience of African American women: overview and suggestions for research

Menopause and its effects on women's health status and needs have only recently received the increased attention of scholars and clinicians that many feel is long overdue. However, one major area of neglect that continues today regards the climacteric in minority populations within the United States, including the largest minority group, African Americans. This review summarizes issues that have potentially limited the amount of information available regarding menopause in African Americans. These issues include differing perspectives on the climacteric within research and clinical arenas, the difficulty of studying race as a variable in scholarly investigations, and methodological factors that have led to underrepresentation of minorities in studies of menopause. General considerations, as well as specific suggestions, for research questions when investigating the climacteric experiences of African American women are offered.