Understanding Menopause & Perimenopause Survey Results

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Sep 18, 2024

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Close to 1 BILLION women globally will be dealing with menopause by 2025. With this in mind SheSpeaks and Tamsen Fadal, best-selling author and menopause advocate, collaborated on a survey to better understand the experiences of women during menopause and perimenopause (the time period just before menopause). Close to 4,000 women participated in the study and there are some very interesting findings.

KEY FINDINGS:
The perceived distinction between perimenopause and menopause is murky, and the actual definition of “menopause” appears to be unclear – or perhaps unimportant – to many women.

• Only 61% of respondents age 51+ say they are currently in menopause, and almost one-third (31%) believe they are perimenopausal. Less than 10% of women in this age range are unsure whether they are menopausal or not.
• Note that only 54% of respondents age 61+ say they are currently in menopause. In addition, nearly half of women who say they are in menopause still report having erratic periods (which would technically rule out menopause).
• Nearly half of women aged 31-40 believe they are currently in perimenopause; this jumps to about 80% in the 41-50 age range.

• Some respondents may actually be in menopause, but don’t yet know or believe it.
• Some women may think menopause is over once their symptoms subside – perhaps considering themselves “post-menopausal.”
• Some women may not consider themselves to be menopausal until they are devoid of symptoms.
• Because symptoms can be felt for many years, many women probably don’t care whether they’re technically in perimenopause or menopause - i.e. the two stages blur together as symptoms are common to both.

• A large majority – more than two-thirds – of women surveyed have experienced each of the most common peri/menopause symptoms.
  • Over half of women say they have frequently experienced weight gain, brain fog, or insomnia.

• The incidence of some symptoms is significantly higher for women who believe they are currently in menopause: 65% of women in menopause say they have experienced frequent weight gain, 63% have experienced frequent insomnia, and over half have experienced frequent hot flashes and/or night sweats.

• Two-thirds of women say peri-menopause has had a negative impact on the quality or quantity of their intimate relations.
  • Over half of women say peri-menopause has placed a strain on their partnership/relationship (note that the negative impact on intimacy is probably a significant cause of strain). Just over 40% say they haven’t felt adequately supported by their partner when it comes to their peri-menopause experience.
• Over half of women have been worried that their symptoms might have a negative effect on how they’re perceived at work. About 44% say they have socialized/networked less at work due to peri-menopause, and about 40% say that peri-menopause has negatively affected their work relationships.
  • About half of women say they’re worried about being discriminated against because of their symptoms’ association with increasing age, and/or that their colleagues will regard them as weak/not up to the job anymore.
  • About 40% are worried that their symptoms will make them the subject of gossip.
• Across the board, negative impacts of peri-menopause are cited more by women aged 41-60 than by those under 41 or over 60. 

Listen to Tamsen Fadal and Aliza Freud (founder & CEO of SheSpeaks) talk about the survey results here 🎧