This week: pink ribbons are back, so let’s talk about what they tend to leave out. Plus, don’t assume abnormal bleeding is perimenopause, and no, you probably don’t need those supplements.
Too many Black women are still dying from breast cancer. It’s not just biology.
Black women are still more likely to die of breast cancer even though they’re less likely to get it than white women. Yes, they’re more likely to develop aggressive cancers like triple-negative breast cancer. But biology doesn’t explain the whole gap. Structural racism plays a role too.
Decades of redlining have left some Black communities farther from major hospitals and high-quality cancer care. There’s also a long history of racism and mistreatment in healthcare that has contributed to mistrust. Add insurance gaps and delays getting from an abnormal mammogram to a biopsy and treatment, and the disparities get harder to dismiss.
What to ask: Since Black women are at a higher risk for aggressive cancer, ask whether you should start screening before 40. Otherwise, 40 is the age to start the mammogram conversation.
Most women with breast cancer don’t have a family history.
About 80% of breast cancers occur in women with no history other than being female and over 40. Dense breasts also increase your risk.
So “breast cancer doesn’t run in my family” is not a reason to skip screening. And between mammograms, know what’s normal for your breasts so you notice when something changes.
What to ask: If you’re 40 or older, it’s time to talk mammograms.
Testosterone can help women with low sexual desire. The evidence gets thin after that.
Another day, another claim for testosterone use in women. There have been many claims that testosterone helps women beyond the bedroom. Maybe. The data isn’t there yet. You wouldn’t be wrong to point out that women haven’t exactly been overrepresented in medical research. But “we need better studies” and “we know it works” are not the same thing.
What to ask: Talk to your doctor about testosterone if your low sex drive is causing you distress.
Perimenopause can make periods weird. That doesn’t mean every weird period gets filed under menopause.
Bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, or bleeding that is unusually heavy for you deserves a conversation with your doctor. Most abnormal bleeding isn’t gynecological cancer. But it is one of the signs doctors don’t want you ignoring.
What to ask: Is this bleeding expected for where I am in menopause, or should we investigate it?
Your menopause supplement may just be expensive marketing.
You might see them on your social media feed or in your local pharmacy — supplements to allegedly make menopause better. The research doesn’t match the claims though. Apparently, putting menopause on the label is also a pricing strategy.
What to ask: Before you pay the menopause markup, ask whether you actually need any of those ingredients.
No, your vaginal estrogen isn’t going to give your husband boobs.
Apparently, this is a concern.
A woman wrote AARP because her husband was worried her vaginal estrogen could transfer to him during sex and cause breast growth, weight gain, or muscle loss.
Uh, no. Vaginal estrogen is a very low dose that works locally. It can help with dryness and painful sex — and may also help with urinary symptoms and recurrent UTIs.
What to ask: If you’re having a dry spell down there, ask whether vaginal estrogen could help.
Know someone in the “wait, what the hell is happening” years? Forward this to her.
See you next Friday. — Trista