In December 2023, Congresswomen Yvette Clarke of New York and Debbie Lesko of Arizona presented the Menopause Research and Equity Act to Congress, which would require the National Institute of Health to assess the current state of menopausal and perimenopausal research and care in the US. The reasons for this bill were clear: half of the female population in America (approximately 84 million women) is 40 or older, and according to a study published in 2021, 32% of those at varying stages of the menopause journey felt there was not enough relevant information available before they started experiencing symptoms, while just 57% always felt understood and supported by their doctor/OBGYN.

“There has also been a swell of non-evidence based ‘cures’, ‘treatments’, and diagnoses (like ‘estrogen dominance’) that have risen up to try to meet the demand of women seeking help,” says Monica Molenaar, the co-CEO and co-founder of menopause brand Alloy. “There are 55 million women in menopause and only 1,100 menopause-trained doctors to support them, so you do the math.” This lack of available or reliable care not only affects women’s mental and physical wellbeing, family lives, and sex lives, but it also has an outsized effect on their careers, often at the height of their professional lives. A Mayo Clinic study found that the symptoms associated with menopause cost businesses over $1.8 billion per year in worker productivity losses, emphasizing the broader economic impact.

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