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Perimenopause Symptoms Statistics 2022
Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women between the ages of 40 to 44. Perimenopause is a natural life stage for women, just like puberty, and should not be viewed as a disease or disorder.
Transitioning to menopause may bring about mixed emotions, some women may view it as a relief that they will soon be free of monthly periods while other women can be upset by the prospect of not being able to fall pregnant anymore.
Women’s individual experiences of perimenopause can vary from person to person. Some women may experience very few symptoms, while others will experience symptoms so severe that it impacts their quality of life. Perimenopause has over 34 symptoms and can include hot flushes, night sweats, digestive issues, changes in sex drive, headaches and mental health problems – all related to declining oestrogen levels.
Here at Forth, we wanted a better understanding of women’s lived experiences so conducted a survey on over 4,000 women both under and over the age of 40 to investigate their symptoms regarding perimenopause and gain an in-depth overview of the subject. We also did this to end the stigma related to the topic and hopefully get more women talking about their menopause experiences.
We collected more data and published an updated version of this blog to reveal the most common perimenopause symptoms in 2023.
Methodology
We questioned a total of 4,031 women on the perimenopausal symptoms they have experienced. 1,020 women were under the age of 40 and 3,011 over the age of 40. We surveyed a higher percentage of women over the age of 40 as this is when perimenopause is most likely to occur. The types of questions asked in the survey included whether respondents experience hot flushes, if they’ve had to deal with vaginal dryness or pain during sex and whether they are suffering from any mood changes like increased anxiety, depression and bursts of anger.The most common perimenopausal symptom is mood changes
Our research revealed that nearly three-quarters (74%) of women have symptoms related to perimenopause. From exploring the general data, it was revealed that women under the age of 40 showed similar symptoms as women over 40, which highlights that symptoms alone can’t be used to diagnose perimenopause. As perimenopause symptoms can mirror any number of other conditions, it’s important to use a blood test to analyse hormones alongside symptoms – especially in women under 40. The top three most common symptoms reported by women who took the survey and answered with either ‘often’ or ‘always’ were:-
- Changes in mood – 87%
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- Changes in memory – 81%
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- Poor sleep – 80%
Final thoughts
We hope we have cleared some of the misconceptions surrounding perimenopause. It can be a difficult time in any woman’s life, both physically and emotionally. Therefore, talking openly about it can help to stay better informed about the symptoms and how to manage them. If you’re looking to find out if your symptoms are likely due to perimenopause then look no further than MyFORM. Disclaimer: The data was collected between 5th April 2022 to June 20th 2022.This information has been medically reviewed by Dr Thom Phillips
Thom works in NHS general practice and has a decade of experience working in both male and female elite sport. He has a background in exercise physiology and has published research into fatigue biomarkers.
Dr Thom Phillips
Head of clinical services
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