Excerpt... Back in the small community room in Enlace Chicago, the group of women continues chatting about how menopause can take a toll on their intimate relationships. And then there’s a celebrity twist. "El ex de Shakira qué dijo? Que estaba con la muchacha, con Clara Chia, es que con ella tengo sexo diario… que dio a entender? Que con Shakira no, no? Shakira es más grande. A lo mejor Shakira estaba en la menopausia." ("What did Shakira's ex say? He was with the other woman, Clara Chia, because he had sex with her everyday… What did he mean with that? That with Shakira he didn’t, no? Shakira is older, maybe she was going through menopause.") 100LatinaBirthdays.com
Excerpt...
Back in the small community room in Enlace Chicago, the group of women continues chatting about how menopause can take a toll on their intimate relationships. And then there’s a celebrity twist. "El ex de Shakira qué dijo? Que estaba con la muchacha, con Clara Chia, es que con ella tengo sexo diario… que dio a entender? Que con Shakira no, no? Shakira es más grande. A lo mejor Shakira estaba en la menopausia. ("What did Shakira's ex say? He was with the other woman, Clara Chia, because he had sex with her everyday… What did he mean with that? That with Shakira he didn’t, no? Shakira is older, maybe she was going through menopause.")
100LatinaBirthdays.com
100 Latina Birthdays is an original production of LWC Studios. It is made possible by grants from Healthy Communities Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Community Memorial Foundation, and Visiting Nurses Association. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series’ fiscal sponsor.
I walk into West Suburban Women’s Health, an hour west of Chicago. The reception area is quiet but lively with music from Mexican pop star Julieta Venegas playing in the background. I’m here to see Dr. Rodriguez an OB GYN.
Dr. Rodriguez says she brings her personal experience and cultural understanding as a Latina into her practice. Hoping to provide clarity to Latinas facing the challenges of menopause and reproductive health.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: We as OB-GYNs recognize that once we hit the age of 40 we have a significant decline in ovarian reserve. And that those eggs are what produce estrogen. And so those hormonal changes lead to massive fluctuations in terms of hormones. The symptoms that go along with that, are considered perimenopausal symptoms: night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood changes, really significantly, and changes in the menstrual cycle.
A study by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, reveals that approximately 40% of women experience mood-related symptoms during perimenopause, similar to PMS. These can include feeling irritable, experiencing low energy, becoming tearful or moody, and struggling with focus. For women going through this stage of life, these symptoms can be overwhelming and often confusing.
These mood changes and emotional challenges are common during perimenopause. This phase can also bring about physical health concerns that are especially prevalent among middle age Latinas.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: Specifically, Latina women are at higher risk of developing and having uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths of the uterine muscle, but they can lead to really significant bleeding changes, very heavy bleeding. This is something that is family history, that there is a family history association, but it's not always discussed.
A study from Women’s Health Across the Nation states that uterine fibroids, non-cancerous tumors that originate in the muscular layer of the uterus, commonly develop around perimenopause. By age 50, up to 70 to 80% of women may have them.
Dr. Rodriguez and I chat in her neat and comfortable office, sipping cups of coffee while she offers more insight into these life-altering changes.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: The other things, as it relates to kind of hormonal changes, the dryness, vaginal dryness piece of things, which can really make a huge impact on sexual health and function. And it can impact the desires about having sex.
Back in the small community room in Enlace Chicago, the group of women continues chatting about how menopause can take a toll on their intimate relationships. And then there’s a celebrity twist.
Fernanda Mora: El ex de Shakira qué dijo? Que estaba con la muchacha, con Clara Chia, es que con ella tengo sexo diario… que dio a entender? Que con Shakira no, no? Shakira es más grande. A lo mejor Shakira estaba en la menopausia.
(What did Shakira's ex say? He was with the other woman, Clara Chia, because he had sex with her everyday… What did he mean with that? That with Shakira he didn’t, no? Shakira is older, maybe she was going through menopause.)
Fernanda Mora is talking about global pop star Shakira, who is 48 this year. The women nod with recognition. They know these symptoms aren’t just physical, but subtly change the dynamics of love, desire, and companionship.
Research by SWAN indicates that Latinas often report higher levels of vaginal discomfort, such as dryness and pain during sex. Dr. Rodriguez says Latinas can do something about vaginal dryness.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: Using a vaginal dilator or a dildo can be beneficial for just maintaining, and kind of stretching the vagina a little bit, because we recognize that when menopause is happening, there's significant atrophy, or just dryness and changes, that the elasticity of the vagina actually changes.
When women notice the signs of menopause, catching these changes early can open up more pathways to feeling better.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: And so that elastic change results in just a narrowing of the vagina. So then when someone does go to have intercourse, the combination of the dryness and the lack of elasticity can result in a significant amount of pain and even bleeding. Women can develop cuts, actually, abrasions in the vagina from the attempt to stretch the area. So you can imagine how painful that could be for someone.
There are also chemical options. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, mimics the hormones that naturally decrease during menopause. This treatment can help reduce hot flashes and night sweats.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: But the hormone replacement therapy usually is less used or utilized in the Latina community. Partially, maybe because there's an attitude towards something and not really wanting to take medication.
In the group of women gathered in La Villita, Leticia Avendaño, shared how her husband supported her decision to explore alternative medicine. Having witnessed her mother’s fight against cancer, she was determined to avoid hormones and chemicals.
Leticia Avendaño: Vamos a tomarnos un tiempo los dos, cada uno en su teléfono, mi esposo y yo y el en el suyo buscando soluciones para que podría ser lo más natural que se pudiera hacer. Porque obviamente se pueden tomar medicamentos, pero no todos son buenos a la larga.
(Let’s take some time, my husband on his phone, me on mine looking for solutions to find what could be the most natural solution. We could obviously opt for medication, but not all medicine is good in the long run.)
But it’s not just about medications, Latinas have other worries too. There are serious health issues that affect Latina women more than others.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: Latina women are 40% more likely to develop cervical cancer, which is a highly preventable disease. It is something that we can catch really early, as long as someone is getting screened. So it's that lack of access to screening that really can impact specifically the Latina community.
Cultural taboos can sometimes stop women from seeking preventive care in the first place. This is where promotoras like Sahida Martinez from Enlace Chicago play a crucial role.
Sahida Martinez: La relación con los ginecólogos es un poquito difícil porque habemos mujeres que no tenemos aseguranza, habemos mujeres que no exigimos nuestros derechos, o simplemente nos conformamos con lo que nos dicen. Todo en un conjunto hace que las mujeres nos aguantemos o esperamos tanto tiempo para seguir sufriendo la menopausia.
(The relationship with gynecologists is a bit complex because there are many of us who don’t have health insurance, we don’t know our rights, or we simply conform to what they tell us. It’s a set of circumstances that makes us hold on for so long, and suffer through menopause.)
She emphasizes how these factors contribute to delayed care, often leaving women suffering in silence through menopause.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: It’s so important to make sure that someone feels really comfortable and confident when they enter that room, that they feel like they are getting undressed, they're exposing an area that is very private to them, and obviously, so that is a barrier in and of itself just to be able to access that.
Creating a safe, respectful environment is key to encouraging women to seek the care they need. Beyond regular screenings, other aspects play a vital role.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: We’re recognizing that strength training and muscle building is really a big thing, and that building muscle actually really significantly helps in both longevity, but also the ability to transition into that menopausal state at a much more healthy rate, meaning bone strength is higher, just overall management of medical conditions is much better.
Finally, Dr. Rodriguez says that maintaining consistent sexual activity also plays a role in women’s health during middle age.
SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ: Actually, more regular sexual intercourse has been associated with lower rates of problems as it relates to dryness and pain. And there is some element of the vaginal environment. A little bit more, I would say, primed or prepared. And so when someone is having less frequent intercourse, it does involve using some form of kind of maintenance.
We go back to Tamara Jimenez’s dining table in Cicero. As she continues to rediscover her sexuality, she follows Dr. Rodriguez’s advice about having consistent sex. Now, at 47, she is exploring with a sense of freedom from guilt after years in an unhealthy relationship.
TAMARA JIMENEZ: I thought I was happy in my sexual life with him, right? But now that I am, I started becoming intimate with my boyfriend, it was new to me, it was I think my sexual breakthrough because I started experiencing what love and real intimacy was. Because now it wasn’t once or twice a month 30 minutes, now it was like we would make time to be with each other, and being with each other now meant that we had the time to explore and I didn’t feel guilty as I did before. Like, oh good girls don’t do this, don’t do that, you know, different sexual activities. Loving myself more gave me the sexual freedom of expression, body exploration with my partner, things that I didn’t have before. Also, he started educating me on sexual positions, things that I’ve never experienced before.
CREDITS
100 Latina Birthdays is an original production of LWC Studios. It is made possible by grants from Healthy Communities Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Community Memorial Foundation, and Visiting Nurses Association. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the series’ fiscal sponsor.
Juleyka Lantigua is the series creator, executive producer, and editor. This episode was reported by me, Carmen Marquez. Mixing and sound design by Kojin Tashiro. Fendell Fulton fact checked it. Kori Doran is our marketing associate. Cover Art by Reyna Noriega.
For more information, resources, episode transcripts, and Spanish translations, visit 100latinabirthdays.com. That's one, zero, zero Latina birthdays dot com. Follow us on Instagram, X, and Facebook at 100 Latina Birthdays.
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