The State of Menopause and Career

Menopause is a part of our story—let’s talk about it

Societal stigmas have cast a shadow of silence over menopause and how people experience it. As a result, there’s a lack of education and access to personalized information, a shortage of helpful tools on the market to manage symptoms, and almost no recognition of how menopause affects people in the workplace. We asked 1000 people about how menopause impacts their life and career experience, and the results speak for themselves.

A stage in life that affects us all

1.2 billion people will be menopausal or postmenopausal by 2030. And 47 million enter the category every year.

Menopause isn’t just a “women’s issue.” When someone experiences menopause, their surroundings are also affected —including personal and work life. This is why everyone should be educated about what happens during this stage in someone’s life.

If we think about it, we’ve all met someone who is going through menopause — whether it’s a relative, spouse, colleague, or friend.

Menopause isn’t scary. The lack of information is.

Because menopause remains taboo, there’s a sense of embarrassment and discomfort when discussing it openly. This aggravates the lack of knowledge and inhibits people from seeking help — making it hard to pinpoint symptoms, find treatment, and get mental health support.

Don’t know the 34 symptoms of menopause.
Only check their health when their health provider requests it.

Time seems to be an important factor — so we took a closer look

Based on an average 100-year human life span, menopause and postmenopause take up a large percentage of someone’s life.

Menopause and postmenopause take up about 49% of people’s lives.

47% of people started having perimenopause/menopause symptoms from age 35 through 45

Trying to conceive, career, and menopause.

  • 1

    More and more people are delaying pregnancy and prioritizing their careers. The US's median age of giving birth has officially hit 30, meaning more people are trying to conceive closer to perimenopause. Source

  • 2

    People experiencing menopause are the fastest-growing demographic in the US workforce. But 2 out of 5 are planning to retire earlier than originally planned. (Source: Mira Survey)

  • 3

    39.6% of women say that perimenopause/menopause symptoms have significantly affected their work life. (Source: Mira Survey)

Reaching the top of the ladder

Reaching greatness in your career may come hand in hand with reaching menopause. Nowadays, many women enter leadership positions at approximately 45 to 55. Simultaneously, menopause symptoms such as insomnia, depression, cognitive impairment, and depression, to name a few, are setting in.

For many reasons, individuals in this position are afraid to speak up about their situation — stigma being predominant. This means little awareness, knowledge, and almost no care procedures in the workplace.

Here’s what we found:

Menopause and the workplace:

Top symptoms people experience:

How menopause symptoms affect people’s work lives:

“Brain fog and difficulty concentrating affected my ability to make decisions in an appropriate amount of time. I worried I would make mistakes, which increased my anxiety. I retired early due to menopause and Covid.”

“I can't sit for too long, or my joints get stiff and painful, but I sit at my desk to do my work.”

“Unable to concentrate on my tasks, fatigue makes it difficult to get through my day. Anxiety and irritability make it difficult to deal with people.”

#SayMenopause

Positive change happens when we start talking about the things we need to change. These wonderful women have shared their stories with us, and you can too.

Studies link FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) levels to perimenopause and menopause

Did you know? If your FSH rises and your estrogen declines, this may indicate your transition into menopause. And according to this study, estradiol levels begin to fall, and FSH levels rise two years before your last period.

Menopause is the start of a remarkable chapter

We believe that actively learning about perimenopause and menopause gives people confidence about how to best approach this next chapter in their lives.

What is Mira Ovum?

Methodology

This report was conducted in August 2022 as a cross-sectional survey of 1000 American women older than 35 years to find out how Perimenopause and Menopause affect(ed) their life and career experience.

Total responses: 1000
Age range: 35-65 (100%)
Country: United States
Gender: Female
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