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In 2018, Melyssa Ford was involved in a automotive accident that might have claimed her life. While recovering, her mother informed her that Ford’s body, which had already undergone a serious test, could also be preparing for an additional challenge – early menopause.

“I was 41 years old. I just had a fatal car accident, so I have brain damage. I don’t feel well. And my mom says to me, “Oh, by the way. I should let you know that I started going through menopause at the age of 42, so it will probably happen to you too,” the previous video vixen turned media personality tells ESSENCE.

Shortly after this conversation, premenopause began. A Google search provided her with little relief.

“Menopause research is really in its infancy,” she says. “You really can’t throw a stone and find an expert. There are very few of them and they are very rare.”

Confused by the lack of expertise available on the time, Ford turned to older friends and acquaintances for help. They weren’t coming. “I still have girls who are in complete denial that they are perimenopausal and they are older than me,” she says.

So she decided to talk up. Known for serving her body and appearing as a sex symbol in popular hip-hop and R&B videos of the late ’90s and early ’90s, her openness about “change” got here as a surprise. But that also got here as a relief. Before she knew it, women from all walks of life desired to contact her and tell her what they were going through.

“When I became very vocal in regards to the undeniable fact that I used to be going through perimenopause, many ladies desired to share with me what they were experiencing. Because of all of the stigma and shame, they couldn’t find anyone who was willing to speak about it,” he says.

This growing community inspired her to begin a podcast exploring the wellness and lifestyle practices of ladies of their 40s. It features interaction with experts and what she calls “experienced” women.

Ford selected this cheeky name not only as a play on perimenopausal symptoms, but in addition to reject the concept that this stage of life makes an individual less attractive. “People think that when we reach this stage of life, we lose all sense of attractiveness, vitality and vigor. That’s not true,” he says. “Women, as far as I’m concerned, we get better with age.”

“Women feel enormous shame about this particular moment in our lives,” she continues. “It’s a natural process. You are blessed to be going through this since it means you might be still alive and still strong.

On the podcast, Ford and her guests open up about all the pieces, including the symptoms of menopause that transcend the comically intense hot flashes portrayed within the media. According to “Menopause symptoms are quite common; “They are so bothersome that almost 90% of women turn to their doctor for advice on how to deal with it.”

These include weight gain, vaginal dryness, severe genital pain, poor sleep, decreased cognitive performancedepressed mood and increased anxiety levels.

“One of the very, very scary statistics is that between the ages of 45 and 54 there is a high statistical rate of suicide among women and it directly correlates with them going through menopause and the mental problems that we experience during that time, lack of concentration, mental fatigue, brain fog,” Ford says. A 2023 study found that “women who experienced the onset of menopausal transition was associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation.”

While navigating her own transformation, Ford experienced mental health issues after losing her mother in 2020 to the Covid-19 pandemic. She moved around it alone. “I couldn’t tell if it was perimenopause or sadness or a combination of both that made me feel suicidal so often,” she says. “That was definitely one of the reasons I wanted to start this podcast.”

It’s also price noting that they exist ethnic disproportions originally of menopause and perimenopause. This manifests itself otherwise in numerous people. Black and Latina women have been found to disclose symptoms earlier. They are also susceptible to more severe and long-lasting symptoms. According to Cat Bohannon’s 2023 book, there may be a scarcity of attention to all of ladies’s medical challenges, especially during menopause.

“We’re starting to realize that the medical industry basically ignores women and our health issues after we reach reproductive age, and that’s very telling because it allows women to know in no uncertain terms that we have no value once we reach reproductive age and that’s the saddest thing,” says Ford, who has no children. “It’s infuriating when over half the world’s population feels this way.”

With this in mind, Ford desires to demystify not only menopause, but in addition aging.

“I don’t have 20-year-olds anymore and I don’t have 30-year-olds anymore. I’m approaching 50.” says Ford. “But I don’t want to be my younger self anymore. I like the journey I’ve been on.”

According to a latest study me and my colleagues carried out. What was particularly surprising was that the women were in good health.

Working with the University of Minnesota and the Masonic Developing Brain Institute, we analyzed data from 641 participants from the Republic of Ireland. They were all pregnant with their first child. We took blood samples at weeks 15, 20 and 33 to ascertain iron levels.

Our study, one of the most important of its kind in the world, shows how common iron deficiency is even in wealthy countries like Ireland. Indeed, women in this study had higher rates of iron deficiency than women in some low-income countries where access to good health care and nutritious food is more limited.

In the early months of pregnancy, 20% of women were iron deficient at week 15, but none were anemic. However, by the third trimester, greater than 80% of women were iron deficient. This suggests that although many women may start pregnancy with normal levels of iron, they are not getting enough iron to satisfy their body’s increasing needs because the pregnancy progresses.

One of probably the most surprising facets of this study is that roughly 75% of women took iron supplements that met the European really useful each day iron intake of 15–17 mg. Although this complement had a protective effect for some women, iron deficiency was still extremely common in the third trimester.

Why iron is so essential

Pregnant women require ten times more iron while pregnant to satisfy your personal needs and people of your growing baby. Both mother and baby use it to distribute oxygen throughout the body, which is vital for the right functioning of all cells and organs.

Low iron levels are related to greater risk of harm to mother and baby.

Iron deficiency can have long-term consequences on child’s brain developmentresulting in weaker cognitionbehavioral problems and poorer motor skills. My previous research showed that iron deficiency in adolescence is related to behavioral problems on the age of five.

Our research suggests that women must be routinely tested for iron deficiency in early pregnancy. Currently, screening for the early stages of iron deficiency isn’t the norm in Ireland, or in many of them other countrieswhich suggests many women do not realize they’ve low iron levels until late in pregnancy – or do not realize it in any respect.

Screening in early pregnancy may also help discover those most in danger of deficiency, enabling them to get help before it becomes an issue.

In addition to screening tests, there’s a necessity for this educate women on the importance of iron while pregnant. Women are encouraged to give attention to a weight-reduction plan wealthy in ironincluding beef, green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and dried fruits. While iron from animal foods is absorbs more easilyIron-rich foods, each animal and plant, are essential.

Routine screening and higher education concerning the importance of iron while pregnant are crucial to learn families and avoid unnecessary risks.