HealthTALK

Black Girls Wait 16 Years for a Diagnosis Most GPs Miss in One Appointment

Sixteen years. That is the average gap between a girl's first symptoms of an undiagnosed bleeding disorder and the day someone finally names it, often after years of being told her periods are simply "heavy" and not investigated.

For Black girls, that wait sits inside a wider pattern. They are disproportionately hospitalised for heavy menstrual bleeding, yet still less likely to receive the one evaluation that could catch the cause early. This is not a story about biology. It is a story about what gets asked, believed and acted on  and what does not. 

This post unpacks the latest evidence, looks at what universities are doing about period poverty and most importantly offers practical steps mothers, professionals and young women can take today.

The Scale of the Problem

Vitamin D Deficiency:

The Overlooked Driver of Fibroids in Black Women

What the Science Says.

July is Fibroids Awareness Month, a perfect time to spotlight one modifiable factor that could make a real difference for many Black women. Vitamin D levels.

The $1 Trillion Women’s Health Gap,  But Where Do Black Women Fit In?

There is a figure being widely shared in global health conversations. The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that closing the women’s health gap could unlock up to $1 trillion in economic value.

It sounds like progress. It reads like opportunity. What it does not answer is a far more important question.

Breaking the Silence.

The Disproportionate Impact of Uterine Fibroids on Black Women’s Health and Wellbeing

Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas, are non-cancerous growths in the uterus that affect many women, often during their reproductive years. These fibroids vary in type, location and impact and can range from being asymptomatic to causing significant health and fertility issues.

Uterine fibroids disproportionately affect Black women, with research showing that they experience higher rates, more severe symptoms and earlier onset compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Studies indicate that approximately 60-80% of Black women will develop fibroids by the age of 50, a strikingly higher percentage than their White counterparts, where the incidence is typically around 30-50%. This stark disparity in prevalence is just one of the ways fibroids uniquely impact Black women’s health.

Several studies have highlighted the racial disparities in the occurrence and severity of fibroids in Black women.…