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For as long as Vena Moore can remember, she’s had painful periods. She started menstruating earlier than most, in fifth grade, and later found out that the years of discomfort and pain were due to fibroids growing in her uterus. So when in her late 30s Vena entered perimenopause – the pregame to menopause – she found the change freeing and firmly embraced it.
In this episode, we dive into the science behind why Black people tend to start puberty earlier, what scientists know about the genetic and environmental factors behind fibroids, and how genetics may influence when menopause begins and how it is experienced.
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In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language and discussions about early puberty, sexual harassment, menstruation, reproductive pain, fibroids, menopause, asexuality, and gender-affirming healthcare that may not be suitable for all listeners. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript, affectionately known as The Nucleus, which will be available soon.
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Want to learn more about the guests featured in this episode? Check out their work below.
Vena Moore is a Brooklyn-based writer whose personal essays and social commentary explore race, gender, aging, relationships, neurodivergence, and the freedom of living life on her own terms. You can read her work on Medium, where she writes about everything from dismantling white male supremacy to proudly embracing life as a cat lady.
Omisade Burney-Scott is a seventh-generation Black Southern feminist, storyteller, social justice advocate, and the creator of The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause. Through storytelling, art, community gatherings, and intergenerational conversations, her work centers the experiences of Black women, femmes, trans people, and gender-expansive people navigating menopause and aging.
https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/
Instagram: @omisadeburneyscott
Instagram: @blackgirlsguidetomenopause
Dr. Sarah-Ann Anderson-Burnett is a pediatrician and adolescent-health physician whose work centers on reproductive justice, health equity, and patient autonomy. Her insights help us understand puberty, menstrual pain, precocious puberty, puberty blockers, and why young people deserve a voice in decisions about their bodies. Dr. Anderson-Burnett is also the Assistant Vice President of Health and Wellness & Director of Health Services and Quality Improvement at Barnard College.
https://barnard.edu/magazine/spring-2023/meet-dr-sarah-ann-anderson-burnett
Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and nationally recognized expert in uterine fibroids and women’s health. She specializes in helping patients understand the full range of treatment options available for fibroids, including alternatives to hysterectomy. Dr. Gillispie-Bell is also an associate professor for Ochsner Health in New Orleans.
https://www.ochsner.org/doctors/veronica-gillispie/
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This episode is part of our 3-part mini-series on reproduction. It’s funded in part by the Greater Good Science Grant on Intellectual Humility, the National Academies' Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, and listeners like you who donate to the show.
In Those Genes is a Black woman-led, independently produced podcast funded by listeners like you. Every episode takes weeks of research, reporting, and production and we’re in the final stretch of producing Season 3. Help us finish the season strong by donating $5, $10, or $20 today!
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Additional Resources:
The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause
A Black woman-led, queer-centered multimedia platform using storytelling, art, and community to normalize menopause and aging across the experiences of Black women, femmes, trans people, and gender-expansive people.
https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/
Power in the Pause
A menopause resource hub from the Black Women’s Health Imperative featuring information, tools, and perspectives created with Black women in mind.
https://powerinthepause.bwhi.org/resources
The Asexual Visibility and Education Network, or AVEN
Educational resources, community conversations, and information for people exploring asexuality and the ace spectrum.
To learn more about menopause and perimenopause:
https://womenshealth.gov/menopause
https://womenshealth.gov/menopause/menopause-basics
To learn more about uterine fibroids:
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine/conditioninfo/treatments
To learn more about puberty and precocious puberty:
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty/conditioninfo
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Credits:
Guest: Vena Moore
Experts:
Omisade Burney-Scott
Dr. Sarah-Ann Anderson-Burnett
Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell
Lead Producer: Sam Riddell
Producers: Janicia Francis, Cinthia Pimentel
Music Composition: Warner Meadows
Theme Song: DJ Chopp A Lott
Additional Music: Chad Mil-Ner
Mixing Engineer: Kayden Wong
Sound Design: Sam Riddell
Booking Producer: Angela Sabblah
Marketing Support: Danya AbdelHameid
Cover Art by David Perrin
Host & Executive Producer: Dr. Janina Jeff Ringo
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