Each year, over a million women suffer through the journey of menopause. This natural transition brings physical and emotional changes that can deeply affect a woman's overall well-being, relationships, and quality of life. Yet too many women go through it alone, suffering in silence without access to the health information, care, or support they need.
Research shows that racial and ethnic disparities exist in the way women of color experience their menopausal transition and the care they receive throughout. For example, the early onset of menopause—more common among Black and Hispanic women—has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease later in life. Despite its widespread impact, menopause remains under-researched, underfunded, and widely misunderstood.
Menopause isn’t just a woman's health issue. It impacts families and the broader community and is influenced by individual, social and community level factors. Thus, making menopause an important public health issue needing attention. As part of UConn Gives 2025, UConn Health Disparities Institute (HDI) created, Real Talk: Breaking the Silence on Menopause, a community-centered series of events designed to foster open conversations and create a safe and supportive space for those affected by menopause and their loved ones who support them.
With the support of our trusted partners, the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity; the Farmington Valley Links, Inc.; UConn Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP); and the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls, Real Talk is bringing together women across Connecticut to ignite intergenerational conversations that will lead to meaningful recommendations for healthcare providers, grounded in the real experiences and needs of women navigating menopause.
When you give to UConn Gives and support Real Talk, you are:
- Increasing awareness about menopause and its impact on women's health
- Expanding access to essential health information on menopause
- Reducing healthcare inequities by helping providers better understand women's real
experiences and deliver care tailored to the unique needs of those in perimenopause,
menopause, and post menopause - Advancing research that centers racial and ethnic disparities to create more inclusive,
equitable healthcare solutions - Taking a stand for gender equity in healthcare across our state
Join us in making a difference in the lives of women across our state. Donate today and share our story with your network. Together, we can break the silence around menopause.
- To give click the button below or go to : https://giving.uconn.edu/uconn-gives-2025/
- Click: GIVE NOW!
- Under Area of Support type in: Health Disparities Institute's Research, Practice, Policy & Advocacy.