The State of Perimenopause

Understanding the Transition That Impacts Women Long Before Menopause

Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause—and it can begin as early as a woman’s mid-30s. Yet for millions of women, this stage goes unrecognized, misunderstood, and undertreated. Symptoms are often dismissed as stress, anxiety, or aging, leaving women without answers during a critical window for preventive health.

Before the Pause highlights the scope of this overlooked health transition, the gaps in care, and why early awareness matters—for women, families, workplaces, and healthcare systems.

Host a Screening

The M Factor 2 Before the Pause Perimenopause Cover

Why Perimenopause Matters

Perimenopause is not brief. It can last 7-10 years and affects nearly every system in the body-heart, bone, brain, metabolism, and mental health. Hormonal fluctuations during this time increase long-term health risks if left unaddressed. Yet most women are never told what perimenopause is or when it begins.

0M

Women in the U.S. entering or in perimenopause

0%

Never heard the term before symptoms began

0%

Wait years to link symptoms to hormonal changes

0%

Receive little to no treatment for symptoms

Heart Disease › risk rises in midlife hormonal transition is of when it begins.

Source: The M Factor Global Impact Report

The Cost of Silence

Key Facts About Perimenopause

Despite its scale and impact, perimenopause remains widely misunderstood and rarely named in clinical visits, workplaces, or public health conversations.

72 million women in the U.S. are entering or will soon enter perimenopause.
83% of women had never heard the term "perimenopause" before experiencing symptoms.
45% of women wait years before connecting their symptoms to hormonal change.
75% of women report receiving little to no treatment for perimenopause symptoms.
Heart disease risk rises sharply during the midlife hormonal transition.
Bone loss can accelerate rapidly during this stage if preventive steps aren’t taken.