Menopause marks the start of a new phase in a woman’s life, filled with opportunities, knowledge, and strength. To empower women not just in Barbados but across the Caribbean, a local clinic has plans to establish the Caribbean Menopause Society.
Chief Executive Officer of BioConnect Medical Centre, Rachel De Gale, a leader in menopause care in Barbados, says this initiative will ensure that women receive the necessary treatment and support during this important stage of their lives. She mentioned this in an interview with Diabetes Today, as she shared insights into the pervasive gap in information about menopause among black and brown women, which she is adamant is needed to ensure that women throughout the Caribbean have better access to healthcare during their menopause and postmenopause years.
“We want through the Caribbean Menopause Society to be able to gather data on Caribbean women. A lot of the studies that are out there right now are very much focused on caucasian women, and while that’s okay for someone like me, it’s not okay for my best friend, who is black, and I have no intentions of living on this earth without her. So, we are going to gather the data to find out what is happening in the lives of women like her.”
Reflecting on that, De Gale insisted that there is no reason why the Caribbean cannot become a champion and a warrior for its women. She said that BioConnect, with the help of its co-owner and medical director, Dr. Roberta Corona, is leading the charge. To date, she said they have made connections with women in Trinidad, Cayman Islands, Grenada, St. Vincent, and Jamaica.
She stated that through such collaborations, Caribbean women can embark on their menopause journey with newfound support, empowerment, and solidarity. Together, they can celebrate womanhood and work to redefine the narrative surrounding menopause in this region.
Her comments came as she noted that one of the daunting challenges currently being faced by women in Barbados, the region and even internationally is access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs. With limited access to HRT drugs, she said BioConnect is helping to fight the battle to get the medication into Barbados.
She noted another challenge is that insurance coverage for HRT is limited. De Gale is concerned about this, noting that science has proven that if it is taken as much as ten years before menopause, it reduces a woman’s long-term risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis, dementia, and cardiovascular disease.
“The greatest disservice that was done to women was in the early 2000s when the Women’s Health Initiative study said that HRT caused cancer in women. Now we know that that study was completely flawed, and now we have to re-educate not only the public but doctors as well. Dr Corona would tell you, as someone who is a doctor, an OBGYN, a fertility specialist, and now a menopause specialist, that in their training, they spend maybe a couple of days on menopause. But menopause is something that represents 40% of a woman’s life.”
De Gale adds that as the conversation around menopause evolves, her team remains dedicated to being a beacon of hope for women everywhere.