Since 2021, Bonafide’s annual State of Menopause survey has been providing insights designed to help us better understand how women are experiencing this significant life transition. Our survey results help to clarify what problems, misconceptions or misunderstandings about menopause persist year after year, as well as understand what’s evolving in the menopause landscape in terms of educational information, symptoms and solutions.
Over the past five years, our data has shown that, while conversations around menopause are becoming more visible, the transition through perimenopause into menopause remains mostly misunderstood and underserved. Our 2025 findings revealed that the onset and initial phase of symptoms remain confusing during the menopause journey. Women lack clarity, and there is a need for more effective education standards. Women are also yearning for more public support and workplace accommodations.1
Bonafide’s mission is to support women through the menopause transition by elevating their voices, understanding their lived experiences, and translating these insights into accessible education and meaningful solutions. Looking at our State of Menopause survey results spanning from 2021 to today, we can see that the patterns that have emerged offer a helpful roadmap for how research, resources, and advocacy can evolve to meet more of women’s needs.
Bonafide’s State of Menopause Survey Findings Over the Past Five Years
Starting in 2021, we learned that women weren’t talking much about the menopause transition.
Bonafide’s first State of Menopause survey gleaned feedback from 1,039 women, aged 40 to 65 located across the United States, who revealed that silence, confusion, and isolation were pervasive through the menopause transition.2
Nearly half of the women who responded to the 2021 survey (45%) said they didn’t understand the difference between perimenopause and menopause before their symptoms began, and almost a third (29%) didn’t seek any information at all before entering menopause. Many women were also slow to talk about what they were experiencing: only 31% indicated they had discussed symptoms with a doctor or healthcare provider and even fewer had confided in partners (17%), friends (20%), or other female relatives (11%). Although participants recognized hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a treatment option, 64% weren’t open to trying it.3
A lack of effective information at the time on menopause symptoms showed that women routinely chose to “tough it out,” with 73% of women choosing not to treat their symptoms. Emotional states during this transitional time also often trended toward neutral rather than empowered or anxious, which suggested that, in the absence of clear information or open dialogue, women were perhaps internalizing menopause as something to endure rather than understand or manage.4
This type of insight is invaluable because it underscored how silence and lack of information may perpetuate stigma and limit care for menopause symptoms. When women default to “toughing it out,” symptoms remain invisible in the healthcare system, which can inadvertently slow innovation in the development of treatment options and reinforces the idea that menopause is a private burden rather than a medical and social issue worth addressing. The 2021 findings helped display the urgent need for education, proactive resources, and research on women’s experiences.5
Read more about our findings in the full 2021 report here.
In 2022, we learned that more perimenopausal women were open to seeking out educational resources but that many lacked clarity around treating menopause symptoms.
Our 2022 State of Menopause survey received over 2,000 responses—nearly double the number from 2021—and the results showed that more perimenopausal women were willing to seek out information and resources, signaling that the silence from 2021 was beginning to break.6
While we noted that perimenopause awareness grew, clarity around how to effectively manage menopause symptoms remained low at 39%. Many women reported being overwhelmed by a mix of conflicting advice and limited access to trustworthy guidance, which left them feeling uncertain about where to turn for effective support and embarrassed to talk openly about aging (47%). This disconnect between increased curiosity and lack of clear treatment solutions highlighted a gap in care. Women appeared to be actively searching—but not always finding—the support they needed to navigate their symptoms with confidence.
Bonafide broadened its focus of our State of Menopause survey in 2022 to include male awareness, recognizing that the menopause experience doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but rather it affects relationships and intimacy, too. The survey revealed that the majority of women (88%) want the men in their lives to be more educated about symptoms and more open to conversations. Results even showed that greater partner understanding was strongly tied to positive health outcomes during the transition. Overall, the 2022 findings revealed a need to transform awareness into action with clearer guidance, reliable resources, and inclusive conversations among women’s support systems and networks.7
Read more about our findings in the full 2022 report here.
In 2023, we learned that education was a critical missing piece in menopause care.
Our 2023 State of Menopause survey results showed that over 2,000 women experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms still considered education to be falling short and menopause care to be inadequate.8 Even 52% of general practitioners reported feeling that they were not offered enough training to advise women with menopause symptoms.9 Misdiagnoses and misconceptions were common, with over half of women (69%) saying they didn’t recognize their initial symptoms as being a part of perimenopause or menopause, instead mistaking them for symptoms of other health issues.10
However, in 2023, we noted that some women were starting to find ways to treat their symptoms, and, when they did, 90% said the relief made a difference in their quality of life. And around three-quarters (79%) of women surveyed said they believed that the best way to navigate menopause was to educate themselves.11
Our 2023 findings emphasized that education is one of the most powerful tools in reshaping menopause care, demonstrating that when women are equipped with knowledge, they are not only more likely to seek help, but they’re also more empowered to advocate for effective treatment and improve their quality of life.12
Read more about our findings in the full 2023 report here.
In 2024, we learned that women’s voices were driving real change.
One of the most profound findings from our 2024 State of Menopause survey results was that the stigma of menopause seemingly decreased as more women noted they were speaking openly about their experience. Compared to 2023, more women were sharing their menopause experience with friends and family (+12%) and talking to healthcare providers about their symptoms (+14%).13
Women responded that they were actively researching on their own as well: 69% said everything they knew came from firsthand research and more than 70% used online or in-person communities to learn from others’ shared experiences. Compared to 2023, 38% more women knew the technical definition of menopause.14
Increased awareness also seemed to spark higher expectations for education and care at work, with many women still reporting being frustrated by gaps in workplace accommodations. Half (51%) stated they wanted better workplace accommodations for menopause, with three-quarters (76%) reporting that no accommodations were currently in place.15
Read more about our findings in the full 2024 report here.
In 2025, we are learning that women want more perimenopause support and are open to being proactive about symptom management.
Bonafide’s fifth annual State of Menopause survey showed a slight uptick in the perception of menopause awareness, with 81% of women believing that self-education is the most effective way to navigate perimenopause and menopause—a slight increase from previous years. Despite this, many women state they continue to feel unprepared for the disruptive nature of menopause symptoms. Notably, 59% of women aged 40 to 49 reported never having heard of perimenopause until they began experiencing symptoms.16
Our 2025 survey also revealed a growing interest in more personalized care during perimenopause and the increasing availability of digital health solutions. In 2025, we found that women aged 40 to 49 are twice as likely to use digital apps for symptom tracking and support compared to women over 50, indicating a potential generational shift towards integrating technology into health management and self-education strategies. However, our survey results also showed that there still seems to be a lack of quality resources for women to turn to for their questions, leaving them looking for answers within their community on social media.17
These findings emphasize the need for more tailored support systems that are designed to address the unique experiences of women in perimenopause and menopause as well as the potential of digital health tools to empower women to manage their health during this life stage.
Read more about our findings in the full 2025 report here.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Looking back over five years of Bonafide’s State of Menopause survey findings, it’s clear that progress is being made, but that gaps still remain, especially in education—from the lack of open conversations in 2021, to the growing curiosity in 2022, to the call for education in 2023, to the advocacy of 2024, and now the demand for personalized perimenopause care and rise of digital health tools in 2025.
Each year’s findings have built upon the last to reveal both challenges and opportunities in the menopause space. Healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, and women navigating menopause can help contribute to the continued evolution of menopause in the mainstream by demanding expanded education, incorporating more training for healthcare providers, developing supportive workplace policies, and leveraging technology for personalized, evidence-based care.
By listening to women and elevating their experiences, menopause research and symptom support can evolve in a way that provides every woman with the clarity and resources she needs to thrive during this time of life.
Resources
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2025 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2021 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2021 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2021 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2021 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2022 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2022 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2023 report
- https://theconversation.com/menopausal-women-often-turn-to-doctors-who-know-little-about-the-symptoms-heres-what-needs-to-change-207450
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2023 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2023 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2023 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2024 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2024 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2024 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2025 report
- Bonafide State of Menopause 2025 report
