What do you know about perimenopause?

Let’s talk about perimenopause. 

Perimenopause and menopause happen to half the world’s population. And yet most of us hardly know anything about it until we’re in it–and even then, support (and open conversation) can be seriously lacking. 

One in three women with symptoms won’t know they’re in perimenopause (1). And for 20% of us, it takes over a year for it to be identified by a healthcare provider (1). That’s a long time to wonder what’s going on.

Clue Perimenopause is designed to help fill these gaps.

What is perimenopause and how will it affect you?

Perimenopause is the lesser-talked-about hormonal transition to menopause and it can last a few years, or over a decade (!) (2). Menopause is the point at which your periods have come to an end (when you haven’t had a period for 12 months) (3).

Common experiences during perimenopause include hot flashes, brain fog, sleep changes, and variations in your cycle length (3,4). 

What should you know about perimenopause?

For months, the team at Clue has been conducting in-depth interviews with women and people with cycles about their perimenopause experiences and symptoms. 

A consistent recurring theme is the way people experiencing perimenopausal changes feel confused, dismissed, and overlooked. The intensity, timing, and length of perimenopause symptoms can be so variable, that people going through it are often left with more questions than answers or solutions. Despite being a whole life stage of significant physical and mental change (due to shifts in hormones) perimenopause research and education has historically been largely absent.

Clue Perimenopause was developed to help fill the gap and give you the space to track and understand your experiences as you navigate the changes that come with perimenopause.

“Thank you SO much for creating Clue Perimenopause! We desperately need to educate anyone with a uterus, and the world as a whole, about this normal phase of life that includes so much more than anyone usually knows about, acknowledges, discusses, and treats.” -Clue Perimenopause community member

What are the symptoms of perimenopause?

The first stage of perimenopause, known as early perimenopause, typically starts in your mid-40s (5), but for some people, it can start much earlier or later. Most people first notice changes in their cycle. In early perimenopause, your cycle length typically varies by around seven days or more (2).

During perimenopause, the levels of your reproductive hormones change frequently and then decline gradually, leading to new sensations, experiences, and changes like hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in your menstrual cycle length or period flow (3,4).

Everyone is unique, and no two people will have the same perimenopause experience. Some people will have a lot of symptoms and some may have little to none. The changes you may notice during perimenopause are due to your fluctuating hormones. There are many commonly experienced symptoms of perimenopause which are trackable with Clue Perimenopause, either with dedicated options or customized tags you can create for yourself. Whatever you’re experiencing, you can track.

How can Clue Perimenopause help you?

Your cycle can be confusing to keep track of during perimenopause, as it ebbs and flows (pardon the pun). Just being told your period is ‘X days late’ as standard period trackers typically do, is not very helpful when your cycle is naturally changing.

Clue Perimenopause is specifically designed to help you navigate perimenopause and includes dedicated tracking options, insights, and even articles filled with useful tips about perimenopause, written by a team of medical and science experts.  

Tracking your experiences can help turn an otherwise invisible and personal experience into quantifiable data and can mean the difference between being able to better manage your symptoms and feel empowered, or just accepting a lesser quality of life as an inevitable part of aging.

How can you start using Clue Perimenopause?

Clue Perimenopause is for anyone who knows they are, or thinks they might be, in perimenopause and wants to track their experiences to monitor changes and patterns over time. 

The mode is a part of Clue Plus, which means that anyone with a Clue Plus subscription can easily change to Clue Perimenopause mode.

Sign up for Clue Plus here.