Early menopause linked to younger HIV diagnosis in Botswana
Among 1,088 women with HIV and high blood pressure who reported menopause, 23.7% said it occurred before age 45.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cross-sectional study of 1,088 women with HIV and hypertension reporting menopause
- What changed:
- Early menopause risk was 46% higher among women diagnosed with HIV before age 35 than among those diagnosed later
- The catch:
- Menopause was self-reported without hormone testing
- In the record:
- The 23rd paper on CD4+ count with results in people; 87 on record in all.
- Why it’s aging research:
- A leading disease of aging, its risks or menopause.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
A cross-sectional study examined 1,088 women with HIV and hypertension, or high blood pressure, in Botswana who had reported menopause. Their average age was 59.1 years. Researchers analyzed data collected at 14 HIV clinics between January and September 2023.
They defined early-onset menopause as periods stopping before age 45 and staying absent for at least 12 months, unrelated to surgery or pregnancy. In this group, 258 women (23.7%) reported early-onset menopause. After adjustment for other factors, HIV diagnosis before age 35 was associated with a 46% higher relative risk of early-onset menopause than diagnosis at age 35 or older.
Why it matters
For women with HIV, the authors called for integrated reproductive and HIV care, including screening and management of early menopause, to help prevent menopause-related complications.
Caveats
This cross-sectional analysis cannot establish cause and effect, and menopause was self-reported without hormone testing. The findings concern women with both HIV and hypertension who had already reported menopause, not all women living with HIV.
The paper
University of Botswana; Harvard University
Menopause, Feb 10, 2026, Open access
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