It’s time for action. The absence of perimenopause education for women leads to unnecessary fear and worry.
In many previous posts, we’ve touched on the need for anticipatory guidance — education delivered ahead of time (i.e., around age 35) about the changes that may arise during perimenopause. We believe making anticipatory guidance the norm will greatly reduce suffering. In this post, we document repeated calls for perimenopause education for women going back to 1982.
And more recently, we certainly haven’t been the only ones calling for more perimenopause education for women. Lisa Selin Davis did so in this great New York Times piece. And there have been others, like Ada Calhoun in her book and Wency Leung. The nutty thing is people have been calling for this for a long, long time.
From 1982: “If I had only known I was not alone”
In her 1982 book, Surviving the Change, prolific women’s health researcher and WLB advisor, Nancy Reame and co-authors, Joan Israel, Marilyn Poland, and Dell Warner used this quote as the dedication:
Fortunately, I am nearly through those confusing years, when I thought, “what’s happening to me, am I losing my mind?” I was never fortunate to find a doctor who seemed to understand me or my state of mind. If I had only known I was not alone, it would have made a big difference in my ability to cope.— Anonymous
1996 -2033: Scientific research calls for better perimenopause education for women
Almost 15 years later, in 1996, a paper by LeBoeuf and Carter, stated that, “the worst thing about perimenopause for most women is not knowing what to expect”.1 Then in 2003, a study reported in JOGNN designed to understand how well people ages 30 to 50 could attribute symptoms to perimenopause and how often they discussed symptoms with a health care provider, concluded with, “the results of this study suggest that education and anticipatory guidance for perimenopausal women should begin with women in their 30s. With many symptoms occurring as early as age 35, recognition of symptoms can greatly reduce the discomfort and fears that women experience during the perimenopausal transition”.(2)
And it’s not just in the US. A 2014 survey of Korean women concluded, “that comprehensive education which is delivered as soon as possible on knowledge, attitude, symptom and management of menopause should be regarded as crucial for Korean midlife women. Education and intervention programs on menopause symptoms are thought to be essential in middle-aged women”.(3)
Despite these repeated calls, the lack of preparation for and education about this normal life transition persists and as a result, it’s difficult to know when to attribute symptoms to hormonal changes. This leaves many of us feeling alone and fearful that something other than a normal transition is at play.
In some ways, it’s dismaying to read a quote from 1982 that resonates so well and to learn about these repeated calls by the research community over the years for more perimenopause education. It’s 2026 and we are still surprised by these changes.
From women: alone, desperate, scared, overwhelmed, convinced we are dying
I searched the internet, talked to my doctor, talked with my husband and felt completely alone and desperate for answers. I was 43 when I first experienced many of these side effects and perimenopause never crossed my mind.— Susannah
Doctors do not have the time or interest in this crippling phase of life leaving women feeling scared and alone until finding your site.— Kim
Because I have to admit I feel a little overwhelmed and scared by it.— Mia
I didn’t know what to expect with perimenopause and menopause. I wish it were a thing for mothers to talk to their daughters of what to expect so we’re not convinced we’re dying from something when it happens. I know so much of it is a social construct, but why do we not talk about this with women in their 40s, so they are prepared for it??— Alanna
If we knew what was coming ahead of time (anticipatory guidance) and heard quotes like these from others like us before we were surprised by perimenopause, it would be a game-changer. The changes associated with this time of life shouldn’t be a secret. Armed with information, we can deal with a lot, especially when we know that these seemingly out-of-the-blue changes are normal, we’ve got company and we aren’t going crazy!
References
LeBoeuf, FJ and Carter, SG, Discomforts of the Perimenopause. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 25: 173-180, 1996
Lyndaker, C and Hulton, L, The Influence of Age on Symptoms of Perimenopause. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 33: 340- 347, 2004.
Kwak EK, Park HS, Kang NM. Menopause Knowledge, Attitude, Symptom and Management among Midlife Employed Women. J Menopausal Med. 2014;20(3):118-125. doi:10.6118/jmm.2014.20.3.118
