The State of Menopause 2024: Research Updates, Treatment Options, and Cultural Shifts

Lifestyle |
6 min read

Written By

Lisa Selvaggio

Published

October 10, 2024

Medically reviewed by

Alyssa Dweck MS, MD, FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer

Every year, starting back in 2021, Bonafide has taken an interest in discovering how women feel about their journey through menopause. We do this in the hopes of better understanding the general sentiment about the transition, how much women know about symptoms and solutions and where they feel change is needed to better support them through this life stage.

While things like Menopause Awareness Month and notable celebrities becoming more vocal about their own experiences are helping to shed more light on what menopausal women go through, it’s still considered a “taboo” topic by many.

We completed our 2024 State of Menopause survey in June of this year and uncovered some interesting results and shifts in perceptions that seem to be taking place around the life stage of perimenopause and menopause. Read on to learn more about what we uncovered from our latest survey findings.

What We Learned in 2023

In 2023, we surveyed 2,000 women between the ages of 40 and 64 who were experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms. We found that a lack of education on all things related to menopause was keeping women from fully understanding what they could expect during this transitional period in their lives.

Several of the common misconceptions about menopause included:¹

Menopause symptoms mostly affect women over 50
All women experience the same menopause symptoms

Other findings that revealed women need a better understanding of menopause, in general:²

79% of women didn’t know the technical definition of menopause – which is only one moment in time (a full 365 days following their last period)
88% of women were unaware of how early the symptoms of menopause can start
69% of women didn’t recognize the initial symptoms of menopause

However, it was clear from our 2023 results that women have begun to take matters into their own hands – empowering themselves by seeking out educational information about menopause on their own time. Our survey revealed that respondents were using the internet and social media to research menopause, in addition to talking to healthcare providers, friends, and family about it. And when they did successfully find solutions, they noted it made a huge difference in how they felt, with 65% of women stating they wished they’d found the symptom solutions sooner.³

Access the full 2023 report here to learn more.

What We’ve Uncovered Today

In 2024, we used our State of Menopause survey to better understand if and how things have changed with time. We surveyed over 2,000 women who were 40 to 64 years old, and again, were experiencing at least one symptom associated with perimenopause and menopause.

Findings this year were mixed.

We noted that there’s still significant work that needs to be done in order to help women navigate menopause and its myriad of symptoms.⁴

56% of the women we surveyed said they were still made to feel like they should “just deal with” their symptoms
Additionally, 39% of women aged 40-49, and 26% of women aged 50-64, stated that their experience with menopause made them feel hopeless

These stats speak to the continued need for more overall education around how disruptive symptoms surrounding the menopause experience can be. Education for not only the woman, but also her healthcare provider.

A Greater Need for Support from Healthcare Providers

In the past, we’ve found that many women didn’t fully understand menopause, all the changes it can bring, and the options that are available to manage the symptoms of it. Much of this can come from a lack of knowledge about the transition, in addition to not discussing symptoms with healthcare providers.

In 2024, we did note a positive shift; that women were talking with their healthcare providers more about menopause, however, the information they received wasn’t always the most helpful:⁵

36% of respondents said they received conflicting medical advice from healthcare providers about how to manage their symptoms
24% still felt like their symptoms weren’t taken seriously

Additionally, and similarly to last year, 95% of women surveyed stated they felt OBGYNs should be required to learn about menopause in medical school⁶ – which could significantly change how they are cared for during this transitional time, and subsequently, could have a positive impact on how the severity of symptoms are perceived.

The Effects of Menopause Symptoms at Work

In 2024 we noted a 13% increase in how unprepared women felt for the daily disruptions menopause symptoms could cause⁷, and these disruptions effect more than just every day quality of life.

In terms of menopause’s impact on work l ife – of those women who indicated they were employed since beginning their menopause transition:⁸

42% of women said their symptoms had a negative effect on their ambition
And 49% said their performance was affected

We also noted that younger respondents – those 40-49 – seemed to struggle more with performance disruptions at work than those 50+, with 27% more stating that symptoms had a negative impact on their performance.⁹ This could indicate that perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause and postmenopause, may be the more difficult part of this transitional time as the onset of multiple symptoms can take women by surprise.

Disruptive symptoms like difficulty sleeping and night sweats, brain fog and lack of focus, and hot flashes were cited as some of the main reasons women felt they needed to take breaks or time off from work – hinting at a greater need for better accommodations.

Women Want More Support for Menopause and They’re Not Staying Silent

Compared to 2023, more women are openly discussing menopause with their healthcare providers (+14%) as well as with their friends and family (+12%).¹⁰ This is a step in the right direction, as one of the keys to normalizing a topic like menopause, is to talk more about it.

With more education and discussion, it’s clear women are expecting more support for their symptoms, as well. 51% of women stated they would like their workplace to provide accommodations for menopause and more are interested in seeing additional investments being made into things like women’s health and menopause research as well as increased government funding to support women’s health.¹¹ As more women speak up, there’s more potential to secure the support we deserve.

Overall, we’re seeing progress from one year to the next, and that’s a great thing. And as women continue to advocate for themselves, a more solid support symptom will hopefully start to take shape – helping to transform medical perceptions, increase funding and advance research to continue to evolve the State of Menopause.

You can learn more about the results of our 2024 survey, here.

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