Disclaimer: Not everyone who goes through menopause identifies as a woman and not all people who identify as women go through menopause. At Jayla, our core audience is people who identify as women, so we primarily use the word “women.” However, we’re working on specific content for people going through menopause who might not identify women. Inclusivity is a key value of ours, so bear with us!
Early menopause, which is when you reach menopause before the age of 45, exists and is very real. It’s more common than people think — and it can be confusing, especially when symptoms are vague or dismissed. But one irregular period doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re in perimenopause. Here, we’ll tell you how you can tell if you’ve started perimenopause in your thirties, and how to handle the symptoms.
Remind me what perimenopause is?
First, let’s have a little recap on perimenopause and menopause:
- Generally speaking, perimenopause starts in your mid-to-late 40s. (1)
- The average age of menopause, which is the point one year after your last (ever) period, is 51 years old. (1)
- Perimenopause is the transition towards menopause, when your reproductive hormones begin to decline (PSA: it’s not a linear decline, but rather fluctuations). This stage usually comes with symptoms of menopause – whether they be hot flashes, mood swings, or sleep issues.
Perimenopause = the transition.
Menopause = no period for 12 months.
Both can come earlier than expected.
You may have started feeling mood swings or slightly hot, and thought, “Surely I haven’t already entered perimenopause?”
How can I tell if I’ve reached perimenopause early?
One hot flash alone is not enough to diagnose early perimenopause.
Here’s what to look out for:
1) Period regularity and cycle tracking
Has the rhythm, length, or flow of your period been changing? Irregular periods are usually a tell-tale sign of perimenopause. As your reproductive hormones begin to fluctuate, your menstrual cycle is often impacted first. For each person, that will look slightly different: for some it’s much shorter or longer periods, for others the time between periods gets much shorter or much longer. For others, it can be both.
2) Experiencing perimenopause symptoms
Have you noticed various perimenopause symptoms? If you’re noticing perimenopause symptoms in different parts of your body, such as mood swings, vaginal dryness, brittle nails, or weight gain, this might indicate you’ve entered perimenopause.
Check out the symptoms to watch out for here.
However, many of these symptoms can be caused by conditions other than perimenopause.
3) Other potential causes of perimenopause symptoms
Before jumping to conclusions, make sure you’ve ruled out other causes. or example, changes in your sleep environment—like a new mattress or a different bedroom—can affect your sleep, and shifts in routine or diet might explain recent weight changes.
Think:
– Anxiety or chronic stress (felt unusually on edge recently?)
– Poor sleep (have you had an extended period of bumpy nights?)
– Nutritional deficiencies (are you getting all your vitamins in?)
– Diet changes (perhaps you went on holiday or changed food type?)
– Depression (have you been feeling particularly low lately?)
– Medication changes (did you switch up your meds?)
– Lifestyle triggers (tried out different or more alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods?)
– Thyroid imbalance or disorders (especially hyperthyroidism)
– Other hormonal conditions common in your 30s, like:
– PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome – are your periods irregular or symptoms like acne and excess hair growth present?)
– PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder – do you experience severe mood swings or physical symptoms before your period?)
4) Genetics linked to menopause
Have you asked your mom, grandmother, or aunties when they reached menopause? Early menopause can be genetic, and so finding out when your relatives started perimenopause can be a great indicator of what you should expect. (2) Of course, just because your mom experienced early perimenopause doesn’t guarantee you will—but it can offer helpful insight.
5) FSH at-home hormone test
What about testing your hormones? Test kits like the Jayla Kit, which include support from clinicians trained in perimenopause, can help determine whether you’ve entered this transitional phase. These tests check for fluctuating reproductive hormone levels—one of the hallmark signs of perimenopause.
With Jayla’s FSH hormone test, you’ll get a clearer picture of your hormone activity. Because levels can vary from day to day, we recommend testing more than once to capture an accurate snapshot. Once your results are in, you’ll review them with a perimenopause specialist. Together, you’ll create a personalized care plan that may include integrative solutions like hormone therapy, nutrition guidance, lifestyle changes, or holistic approaches—to help you manage your symptoms and start feeling like yourself again.
If you’ve gone through all these steps and are convinced you’ve entered perimenopause in your thirties, the next part’s for you. We’ve got you.
What is early menopause?
‘Early menopause’ describes menopause under the age of 45, and menopause under the age of 40 is known as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). (3)
1 in 100 women go into menopause before they are 40. (3)
1 in 1,000 women go into menopause before they are 30. (3)
About 1% of women experience menopause before age 40, and it’s very rare before 30—affecting roughly 0.1%. For context, around 12.5% of women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. So while perimenopause in your 30s isn’t typical, it’s common enough to be aware of—and understanding what’s happening can make all the difference in how you navigate it.
If you start experiencing perimenopause symptoms in your thirties, it could be a sign of early menopause or POI. To give a timeline, perimenopause can last anywhere between one and ten years, although it typically lasts four to eight years. (1)
Early menopause and POI can be incredibly lonely. There is still deep stigma and shame placed on women who struggle to conceive. If you’re nodding your head behind the screen: know that you’re not alone. As we continue building awareness around how common early menopause is, we will begin to normalise it.
What causes early menopause?
In many cases, the cause of early menopause isn’t known, however there are some known causes.
1) Medical treatments
Certain cancer treatments, especially those targeting the pelvic area, can damage the ovaries, leading to early perimenopause. (5) The surgical removal of our ovaries (called a bilateral oophorectomy) causes immediate menopause, regardless of age. (6)
2) Autoimmune diseases
Sometimes the body gets a little confused and starts attacking its own cells — including the ovaries. This can happen with certain autoimmune conditions like thyroid disorders, lupus, or Addison’s disease, and may lead to early menopause. (7)
3) Genetic or Chromosomal Conditions
Some people are born with genetic conditions that affect how their ovaries develop or function. For example:
– Turner Syndrome – where a missing or altered X chromosome can cause early ovarian failure. (8)
– Fragile X premutation – a change in the Fragile X gene that can lead to POI later in life. (9)
These conditions are rare, but they help explain why some people experience early menopause even in their teens or 20s.
If you’ve ruled out other causes but are experiencing early perimenopause, know that it’s often unexplained—and it’s not your fault; take the time you need to process and remember you can still create a future that feels right.
What should you watch for if you’re in early perimenopause?
When perimenopause starts earlier than expected — typically before age 40 — it’s important to be aware of how the drop in estrogen can affect your health in both the short and long term.
Bone health
Estrogen helps maintain bone density. Losing it earlier than expected can increase the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis (both conditions of reduced bone strength), especially if you’re not getting enough calcium, vitamin D, or weight-bearing movement. (10)
Heart health
Estrogen also plays a protective role in your cardiovascular system. Early perimenopause may lead to higher risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease over time. (11)
Cognitive changes
Some research suggests that early estrogen loss may slightly increase the risk of cognitive decline or dementia later in life. (12)
Emotional and mental well-being
Anxiety, depression, and mood swings can be more intense for those entering perimenopause early, particularly if it happens suddenly or due to medical treatment. (13)
Fertility
If you’re hoping to get pregnant, it’s worth knowing that egg quantity and quality may decline more rapidly. There may still be options, so speaking with a fertility specialist can help clarify next steps. (14)
Suspect you’ve entered early perimenopause? It’s worth chatting with a Jayla healthcare provider who really gets perimenopause—someone who won’t dismiss your symptoms, understands the various ways it can show up, and knows how to tailor treatments that actually work for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all fix, but things like hormone therapy, smart nutrition, and a few lifestyle tweaks can go a long way in helping you feel like yourself—and keep your long-term health on track.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. At Jayla, our clinicians work with you to build a personalized treatment plan that helps you feel your best. Together, we’ll find a sustainable approach to managing your weight that supports both your physical and emotional well-being for the long term.
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References
1. The Menopause Years, ACOG. Available at: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/the-menopause-years (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
2. Menopause | National Institute on Aging. Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
3. NHS Inform. 2023. Early and premature menopause. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/early-and-premature-menopause (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
4. Social Security Administration, 2024. Actuarial Life Table. [online] U.S. Social Security Administration. Available at: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html [Accessed 28 May 2025].
5. How cancer and cancer treatment can affect fertility in women (no date) American Cancer Society. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-women-with-cancer/how-cancer-treatments-affect-fertility.html (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
6. Feminizing surgery (2024) Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/oophorectomy/about/pac-20385104 (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
7. Primary ovarian insufficiency: Causes, symptoms & treatment (2025) Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17963-primary-ovarian-insufficiency (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
8. What is Turner Syndrome? (2025) Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15200-turner-syndrome (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
9. Fragile X syndrome (no date) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Available at: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/fragilex (Accessed: 05 June 2025).
10. National Institute on Aging, 2021. Osteoporosis: What You Need to Know. [online] Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/osteoporosis [Accessed 28 May 2025].
11. American Heart Association, 2020. Menopause and Heart Disease. [online] Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/menopause/menopause-and-heart-disease (Accessed: 28 May 2025).
12. Maki, P.M. and Henderson, V.W., 2016. Cognition and the menopause transition. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 43(3), pp.489–501. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2016.04.001 (Accessed: 28 May 2025).
13. National Institute of Mental Health, 2023. Depression During and After Menopause. [online] Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/menopause-and-mental-health (Accessed 28 May 2025).
14. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 2021. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency. [online] Available at: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/primary-ovarian-insufficiency (Accessed: 28 May 2025).
