Addressing the Menopause Care Gap: Key Findings on Barriers and Opportunities

A Mayo Clinic survey of nearly 5,000 women aged 45-60 in primary care found that 34% reported moderate‑to‑very‑severe menopause symptoms, yet most did not seek medical care. This gap signals missed opportunities for diagnosis and treatment during routine visits and indicates a substantial unmet need for menopause care among midlife women.

Eighty‑four percent of symptomatic women reported managing their menopause symptoms without medical help. The main reported drivers—preference for self‑management, lack of awareness of options, and embarrassment—highlight care‑seeking barriers that are, importantly, modifiable through education and access strategies. These factors directly limit diagnosis and treatment uptake in primary care and women’s health settings.

Clinicians frequently underrecognize menopause as a contributor to sleep disruption, mood symptoms, vasomotor events, and functional decline and do not always screen or counsel proactively about midlife symptom patterns. The survey underscores a measurable care gap that routine inquiry and targeted education can mitigate.