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Let’s Modernize Menopause Care
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It's time to care for the caregivers
More than one in five Utah women are in or approaching menopause.
They are our wives, mothers, sisters, partners, friends, coworkers, leaders, and caregivers.
Yet for decades, the research, medical training, and information available to women navigating this stage of life have not kept pace with what they need.
In 2027, The Policy Project is working to change that.
Menopause 101
Perimenopause
The years leading up to menopause, when hormone levels begin to change. Periods often become irregular, and symptoms can start years before a woman realizes why.
Menopause
A single point in time, marked once a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period.
Postmenopause
Everything after menopause, for the rest of a woman’s life.
42
average age of perimenopause onset
6
average length (yrs)
of perimenopause
48
average age at menopause
It’s not just hot flashes.
Ask most people to name a menopause symptom, and they’ll probably say hot flashes. But in a recent survey of Utah women navigating this transition, hot flashes ranked seventh. The most common symptoms are ones we talk about far less:
✶ 93% fatigue
✶ 92% memory loss
✶ 89% difficulty focusing
✶ 87% trouble sleeping
✶ 83% irritability
✶ 83% nervousness
✶ 79% hot flashes
✶ 72% joint & muscle pain
✶ 66% changes in libido
✶ 65% anxiety
✶ 63% low mood
✶ 55% heart palpitations
How we’re modernizing menopause care
We started by listening to women. We looked at the research. We talked with medical providers, insurers, researchers, employers, policymakers about what’s working and where more support could make a difference. Four solutions rose to the top.
Identify symptoms earlier
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What We Know
45% of women in one study experienced symptoms for as long as six years before realizing they were connected to menopause.
What We’re Hearing
“I saw someone about my sleep. Then my anxiety. Then my weight gain. No one ever asked whether those things might be connected.”
SUSAN ✶ DRAPER, UT
What We Can Do
Make perimenopause screening part of routine preventive care so women and providers have another tool to recognize symptoms earlier, start conversations sooner, and determine what care may be appropriate.
Equip medical providers
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What We Know
Nationally, 90% of family medicine, internal medicine, and OB-GYN residents say they don’t feel prepared to treat menopause.
67.4% of women reported being dismissed, encountering insufficient knowledge, or receiving no solutions from their provider.
What We’re Hearing
“It was so hard to find answers to my questions. I ended up doing most of my research on my own, talking to friends and Googling endlessly.”
MINDY ✶ WASHINGTON, UT
What We Can Do
Give Utah providers practical menopause education, screening tools, current treatment information, and a pathway to become recognized as menopause-informed providers.
Generate Utah-specific research
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What We Know
The National Institutes of Health established menopause as a formal research category in 2023. In 2025, menopause research represented less than 0.12% of the NIH budget.
What We’re Hearing
“We know more about menopause than we did a generation ago, but there are still gaps in our understanding that, if filled, could make a real difference for women.”
DR. KENDRICK ✶ OREM, UT
What We Can Do
Invest in Utah-specific menopause and perimenopause research to deepen what we know about symptoms, care, and outcomes, giving Utah an opportunity to lead in menopause research.
Make trusted answers easier to find
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What We Know
59% of women in their 40s said they had never heard of perimenopause until they began experiencing it.
72% said they had to learn most of what they know on their own.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services hosts resource pages for hundreds of health needs, but menopause isn’t one of them. There’s an opportunity to change that.
What We’re Hearing
“Once I finally had a name for what I was experiencing, I still didn’t know where to find information I could trust.”
ERICA ✶ LEHI, UT
What We Can Do
Create a state-hosted menopause resource hub where women and families can understand symptoms and treatment options, prepare for medical appointments, and find menopause-informed providers.
Be part of the momentum
This movement isn't exclusive to women. Menopause shows up in our families, our relationships, our workplaces and our communities. We need women, men, spouses, teenagers, grandparents, employers, providers, and policymakers to be part of the solution.
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Attend an Event
From service projects and community conversations to expert panels and advocacy events, there’s a way to get involved near you.
Host a Living Room Conversation
Invite a few people over to discuss menopause and learn together. We’ll give you everything you need to get started.
Move for Menopause
Are you a yoga, Pilates, HIGH Fitness, or other fitness instructor? Host a class to raise awareness and support better menopause care.
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Share Your Story
Your experience can help policymakers, providers, and employers understand what statistics alone can’t show.
Host a Postcard Party
Gather your friends, coworkers, book club, neighborhood, or community group and advocate for better care.
Use Your Platform
Are you an influencer, content creator, podcaster, photographer, or journalist? Bring menopause into the conversation!
Want to learn more? Start here.
Give today. Care for the caregivers.
Help us raise $5,000 for the 1 in 5 Utah women in this phase of life. Every dollar helps The Policy Project build awareness, advocate for better care, and create resources for the women we love.