Most women do not seek medical knowledge at this life-changing stage

Three in five women (60%) say they are completely self-taught when it comes to menopause knowledge, according to new research.

A new survey of 2,000 American women found that many believe they are over-directed to information about pregnancy and childbirth, but feel under-resourced when it comes to perimenopause and menopause.

In addition, three out of four women (74%) agree that there is more information available about pregnancy than about perimenopause and menopause.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Doctor’s Best, the results showed that women were three times more likely to have a lack of knowledge about perimenopause (21%) than pregnancy (7%).

Although women spend more than 30% of their lives in menopause, only one in four women (25%) felt informed about perimenopause and less than half (34%) about menopause because of their health care provider.

It’s no surprise that more than a fifth of respondents say menopause is an under-discussed topic in women’s health, with 74% of respondents saying they want to learn more about the topic.

Only 29% of women believe that women’s health is discussed enough in the media.

Only half of women (52%) can define perimenopause, with Gen X the generation most likely to feel confident in their knowledge of perimenopause.

“It’s clear from the survey results that women need and want more information and support about what to expect after the key reproductive years,” said Katie Lucas, vice president of marketing at Doctor’s Best.

The survey also found that Gen Z (14%) were more aware of how early perimenopause can start compared to women in generations that are affected by it or have gone through it (Millennials 5%, Gen X 3%, baby boomers 3%, Silent). Generation 4%).

Almost one in four Gen Z women (20%) get health information from social media, mainly TikTok, compared to older generations.

Interestingly, 48% of the women surveyed cannot define perimenopause, although 71% suffer from it or have gone through it. Although there is an opposite effect with menopause, 82% of women surveyed can define it, although 47% have not yet entered this stage of life.

When it came to identifying symptoms of perimenopause, respondents were most likely to identify irregular periods (63%), mood swings (62%), hot flashes (61%). However, some symptoms were less associated with it, such as breast tenderness (28%), dry skin (26%), difficulty concentrating (24%).

Natural remedies and lifestyle changes are among the top three ways women want to know how to deal with perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

“It’s encouraging to see that younger generations are becoming increasingly proactive and interested in perimenopause and menopause awareness,” said Gale Bensussen, CEO of Doctor’s Best. “We need to equip each generation with resources to help them navigate these important life transitions.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 women; the survey was commissioned by Doctor’s Best and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between September 18 and September 23, 2024.