Atlanta OB-GYN Dr. Sharon Harley, who focuses her practice on women who are undergoing menopause, is helping those like 63-year-old Sharon Humphries, who said she was unprepared to navigate this stage of her life.
According to the National Institute on Aging, menopause is “the stage of a woman’s life when her menstrual periods stop permanently, and she can no longer get pregnant.” This stage is a normal part of aging, and although the average age of menopause is 52 in the United States, women can reach it at different ages. When Humphries shared her story with WSBTV, she explained that she reached early onset menopause following a hysterectomy in her 40s. She underwent a surgical procedure to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and had both ovaries removed. “I tell people I suffer with depression, but when I think about it — it was really during this menopause.”
Research reports that Black women are more likely to have an early onset of menopause. Dr. Harley told the outlet that the stage is usually due to a decline in female hormones. “With the loss of hormones, the data is showing that women, when they transition into menopause, they’re actually at a higher risk for cardiac events,” Harley said. Changes in the hormones have been linked to some of the symptoms women experience during this stage, like hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, sleepless nights, and brain fog. The National Institute on Aging notes that Black women experience menopausal symptoms at higher rates and for longer periods compared to their white counterparts, and symptoms can last up to around eight years. During this time, women may also experience changes in body weight and shape, bone density, heart health, or physical function.
Humphries’ symptoms returned at age 63. “This past month alone, just depressed… no energy,” the Metro Atlanta woman said. “Well, the libido has been gone.” She hopes her story encourages other women to seek education early on so they feel ready when it’s their turn.
The Harley Institute states that its founder, Dr. Harley, is trained in anti-aging and natural and regenerative medicine. With over three decades in private practice, she has covered areas like hysterectomy alternatives, bioequivalent hormone replacement therapy, allergy testing, nutritional supplements, fibromyalgia treatment, stress-related diseases, preventive health, peri-menopause, and andropausal, or male menopause, medicine. The National Consumers Research Council recognized her as a top physician in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
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