Last Tuesday, voters in Ohio voted to protect abortion as part of the reproductive health choices for 2.23 million women ages 15 to 44 who reside in the state (see Table 1).
Table 1. Women of Childbearing Age (15-44): Ohio
Source: 2023 Annual Social and Economic Supplements, Current Population Survey
While celebrating the victory in Ohio, many women in my circle quietly cheer, “Yeah, Menopause!”
Women’s Health
I recently had my annual preventive health exam, which included a mammogram, pelvic exam, and pap smear – or what I jokingly call the “smash, scrape, and poke” exam. During the exam, I noticed that the literature in the room primarily focused on contraceptives. When I asked my doctor about literature on menopause, she hadn’t noticed there was none and wasn’t sure if the office even had any.
I responded, of course not. Your focus is obstetrics.
To her credit, she asked if there was information on menopause.
As we left the room, she was surprised to find a two-sided information sheet about menopause attached to the door.
If this is a “women’s health center,” should my doctor be surprised that her office has information about menopause?
The “M” Tax
According to the Institute on Aging, women begin transitioning to menopause between 45 and 55 years of age. Using this age bracket, nearly 23 million women (13% of all women) will start transitioning to menopause this year. More than 50 million women over 56 years of age–almost a third of all women–are already in menopause (see Table 2).
Table 2. Women by Reproductive Health Categories
Source: 2023 Annual Social and Economic Supplements, Current Population Survey
Thirteen percent of the workers, including armed forces members, are women between 45 and 55. A Mayo Clinic study found that women between the ages of 45 and 60 missed, on average, 3 days of work annually due to menopause symptoms. The study estimated the loss in productivity to be valued at $1.8 billion to the U.S. economy.
Over the next few months, I’ll work with Ana Kent to explore the “M” Tax, the tax women pay for being mothers and experiencing menopause. The “M” resembles women’s trajectory in the workforce. Women tend to move up the career ladder until they become mothers. Then they get hit with the “mommy tax,” declining earnings and career opportunities. Then, you see another rise in career engagement that tapers off during menopause.
I encourage you to read this article to learn more about how menopause is disrupting the lives of professional women. I hope my work with Ana will allow us to discuss how devastating menopause can be for low-income women.
