A 'Perimenopause Guessing Game': Flo Health Study Finds 1 in 3 Women Unsure of Their Stage

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: Flo Health (in collaboration with Mayo Clinic Center for Women's Health) · Published: August 19, 2026 · Accessed: August 24, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• In a survey of 7,640 U.S. women age 35 and older, 34% could not identify their reproductive stage, with uncertainty increasing alongside symptom severity - the sicker women felt, the less sure they were.
• Confusion peaked among women ages 40 to 44, 42% of whom did not know whether they had entered perimenopause.
• Many participants remained uncertain because their menstrual cycles were still largely regular or because their symptoms overlapped with other conditions.
• Among 409 written explanations of uncertainty, symptom confusion accounted for 56% - women cited difficulty distinguishing perimenopause from endometriosis, postpartum changes, or the effects of stopping hormonal birth control.
• Another 28% of written explanations described limited knowledge or conflicting information, including the belief that they were too young to experience perimenopause; the remaining 16% cited difficulty obtaining confirmation or care, including healthcare professionals dismissing concerns or attributing symptoms to another condition.
• Participants completed an anonymous survey between December 2024 and May 2025; the research was conducted with researchers from Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health and published in Menopause: The Journal of the Menopause Society.
• Liudmila Zhaunova, Director of Science at Flo Health: 'Helping women navigate perimenopause isn't only about developing new treatments - it's also about helping them recognize the transition earlier.'