Everyone deserves menopausal care. The way perimenopause is ripping through my life isn’t pretty and luckily I have access to resources where I live. Well, access to resources means a couple of providers in my city that accept my insurance. This is only because of my position in society, a sex educator who has worked with a menopause provider. But for other folks, this isn’t the case.
In a study from July 2026, more than 7,600 US women aged 35 years and older were interviewed. Women faced three main challenges with perimenopause:
- Symptom Confusion (56%): Most struggled to interpret body changes or tell perimenopause apart from other issues.
- Lack of Information (28%): Many experienced gaps in knowledge, faced age-related assumptions, and had to search for answers on their own.
- Care Barriers (16%): Some dealt with dismissive doctors or felt reluctant to accept the transition.
Age Differences: Women aged 35–39 reported the most information gaps, while those aged 40–44 faced the highest barriers to getting healthcare.
And yes, this is not our fault. It’s the fault of the medical system, our culture, the lack of sex education. To make these services accessible to folks, researchers recommend doctors look beyond period changes to spot perimenopause. Because mental, emotional, and physical symptoms often show up before cycle changes begin, clinicians should recognize these early signs instead of relying only on irregular periods.
If you’d like to become your own best advocate around menopause, I highly recommend Heather Corinna’s book What Fresh Hell is This? as it contextualizes and investigates what we think we know about menopause before dishing out facts and observations that people facing menopause urgently need. It will make you feel rage and comfort, all at the same time. I can’t stop telling my friends about this book. And, please know The Pincus Center is a resource for you as well! If you need additional support in feeling confident advocating for yourself, reach out to our therapists and coaches.