Overview

• TikTok users have popularized the term “cougar puberty” to rebrand perimenopause as a second puberty, reshaping public discourse.
• Perimenopause spans four to eight years, usually beginning in the mid-40s but possible from the mid-30s, and includes hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues and vaginal dryness.
• According to Nielsen IQ, 45% of U.S. women are in some phase of menopause while a Post Reproductive Health study found 90% never learned about it in school.
• Women are turning to lifestyle adjustments alongside cold-compression techniques and nonprescription products such as vaginal moisturizers and lubricants to ease symptoms.
• An empowerment-focused narrative in mainstream coverage is shifting the view of menopause toward self-care, highlighting practical symptom-management strategies.