AARP Report: 32 Percent of Women Lack Crucial Information About Menopause

A new survey of women 18 and older highlights the need for more support from the public and the medical community

Lauren Evoy Davis,

AARP

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Published April 11, 2025

three women whose bodies are represented by hourglasses

Kiersten Essenpreis

Menopause is not getting the attention it deserves from the general public or the medical community, according to findings from a new AARP survey — this despite the fact that more than half of women over the age of 18 report being in some phase of it.

The new report, titled Mirror/Mirror: AARP Survey of Women’s Reflections on Beauty, Age, and Media, highlights gaps in menopause awareness and reveals how women cope with the years-long transition that can disrupt sleep, sex, mental health and more.

The survey of 4,436 women aged 18 and older finds, for example, that nearly 70 percent of adult women say there’s a need for menopause education among the public and that women’s health, in general, isn’t studied enough. Sixty-four percent of women 18 and older say we need more doctors who specialize in menopause.

Many women (32 percent) say they lack important knowledge about menopause, and just half of women in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause have consulted a health professional for help with issues related to menopause, the report finds. What’s more, less than half of women in these phases of menopause (41 percent) have turned to medical treatments, such as hormone therapy, to relieve their symptoms.

Sarah Kerman, a senior research manager at AARP, says the findings also reveal that for many women, perimenopause — which typically starts in the mid-to-late 40s and can last between two to eight years — is especially disruptive. “Women are beginning or amid experiencing changes and symptoms that can be very challenging to navigate — especially considering support is lacking through this transition,” Kerman says. In AARP’s survey, 61 percent of women in perimenopause say menopause deserves more attention from society at large.

Menopause symptoms, treatments and attitudes

There are several other key takeaways from AARP’s report, including:

1. Few women are using HRT for their symptoms.

The survey found that 13 percent of women have taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which can help treat common menopause symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness, and 3 percent of women have used bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), or artificial hormones that mimic the hormones produced by your body. In total, 27 percent of women with menopause symptoms have used some type of hormone product.

“A lack of awareness and knowledge about HRT persists,” Kerman says about the research findings. “In our survey, almost half of women in [perimenopause] who haven’t used HRT said they either never heard of it (18 percent) or don’t know enough about it (26 percent).”

Though it benefits many women, HRT — which comes in patches, pills, creams, sprays, gels and more — isn’t right for everyone, including individuals with a history of breast cancer and people with heart and blood clot risks. This is why it’s key to talk to your doctor, who will consider your health history and menopause symptoms before prescribing any treatment. Roughly 17 percent of women surveyed who don’t use HRT say they’re worried about potential risks; about 10 percent don’t use it because their doctor recommended against it.

2. Many women turn to home remedies.

More than half of the women surveyed have tried to handle symptoms of menopause at home by adjusting their diet, taking vitamins, exercising, using cooling devices and using nonprescription vaginal lubricants.

Thirteen percent of women in perimenopause stopped or reduced their alcohol consumption; 11 percent tried cannabis; 6 percent tried meditation/hypnosis and 2 percent tried acupuncture/acupressure. A small study published in the International Journal of Women’s Health and Reproduction Sciences suggests acupuncture may help with hot flashes and insomnia.

3. Most women experience sleep disturbances.

Among those surveyed, 53 percent of women in perimenopause and 60 percent of women in menopause say they experience sleep disturbances. Some women surveyed, including 27 percent of women in menopause, say they turn to sleeping pills to help. Sleeping pills, however, are not without side effects and potential health risks, which can include problems thinking and making decisions, according to a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine.

4. Lesser-known symptoms are overlooked.

Many survey respondents were familiar with common menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, night sweats and weight gain, but were less familiar with other menopause symptoms, such as thinning hair, burning tongue, tingling extremities, incontinence and itchy skin.

Women want support from employers, policymakers

65 percent of women say U.S. policymakers need to work to ensure all women can access high-quality, personalized menopause care and treatment, including access to HRT.
54 percent of women say U.S employers, in general, need to do more to support workers in menopause.

Source: AARP, Mirror/Mirror: AARP Survey of Women’s Reflections on Beauty, Age, and Media

5. Women worry about discrimination.

Twenty percent of women in perimenopause and 22 percent in menopause have felt worried about menopause-related discrimination at work, the survey found. Roughly 28 percent of women in perimenopause and menopause have also been concerned about being discriminated against in personal interactions. Overall, 24 percent of women in the menopause transition have felt concerned about discrimination in the media.

6. Menopause can affect a woman’s sense of self.

Women going through perimenopause and menopause are more likely to say that menopause has a negative impact on their sense of self. However, AARP’s survey finds that the impact is lessened in postmenopause. “Once through the transition, women in postmenopause report a more neutral or positive impact on sense of self. Women may feel free from worrying about their menstrual period. This also coincides with women’s progression away from external expectations and feeling increasingly confident in themselves as they age,” Kerman says.

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Lauren Evoy Davis is a contributing writer who has covered health and wellness for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in the National Council on Aging, Everyday Health, HealthCentral, Patient Power, WebMD and Verywell Health.