Young Menopause: What No One Tells You About Early Menopause
Rosie Acosta and Tessa Tovar open The Radically Well Podcast with their own health journeys and an honest conversation about early menopause—the transition many women are told they are too young to be going through.
What happens when your body starts changing years before anyone expects it to?
Menopause is often described as something that happens in a woman’s fifties. For some women, it arrives much earlier. When it does, symptoms can be overlooked, explained away or met with the assumption that someone is simply too young for hormones to be part of the picture.
In the first episode of The Radically Well Podcast, Rosie Acosta and Tessa Tovar share their personal health journeys and focus on the often-overlooked topic of early menopause. They talk about the emotional upheaval of the transition, how it can change relationships and why self-advocacy matters when answers are slow to come.
The conversation also makes room for experiences that are rarely discussed openly: grieving the losses that can come with this stage of womanhood, and the taboo surrounding depression within the wellness community itself.
Rosie and Tessa close with practical encouragement—track your symptoms, advocate for your health and build a supportive network around you—along with a reminder that many of the hardest parts of this transition are temporary.
Ideas explored in this conversation
- Early menopause is often overlooked in mainstream health conversations, including by women experiencing it.
- Sharing personal stories can reduce isolation and help women recognize what they are going through.
- Perimenopause and menopause can bring emotional upheaval, and those feelings deserve validation rather than dismissal.
- The transition can significantly change relationship dynamics.
- Grieving what is changing is a legitimate part of the process, not a sign of weakness.
- Depression should not be taboo in the wellness community; practicing mindfulness does not make someone immune to it.
- Tracking symptoms makes it easier to advocate for yourself with healthcare providers.
- Supportive networks help women navigate a phase that can feel lonely and confusing.
What counts as early menopause?
According to the U.S. Office on Women’s Health, menopause that happens between ages 40 and 45 is called early menopause. Menopause that happens before age 40 is called premature menopause, which is also medically referred to as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI).
About 5% of women go through early menopause naturally. Smoking and certain medicines or medical treatments can also cause menopause to happen earlier than usual.
Early menopause is not only about timing. The Office on Women’s Health notes that women who go through early or premature menopause may face a higher risk of health problems such as heart disease and osteoporosis, because they live longer without the protective effects of higher estrogen levels. Some women also experience more severe symptoms, or sadness and depression related to the change. That is why early menopause deserves a real conversation with a qualified healthcare provider, not just reassurance.
Tracking symptoms and advocating for yourself
One of the clearest messages in this episode is that women do not have to wait for someone else to connect the dots. Keeping a record of what is changing can make appointments more productive and make it harder for symptoms to be dismissed.
Consider keeping track of:
- Changes in your menstrual cycle, including skipped periods
- Hot flashes, night sweats or temperature changes
- Sleep quality and night waking
- Mood shifts, anxiety, irritability or low mood
- Aches, joint pain or changes in energy
- How symptoms affect work, relationships and daily life
Questions you may ask a healthcare provider:
- Could these symptoms be related to perimenopause or early menopause?
- What other conditions should be ruled out?
- What does early menopause mean for my bone and heart health?
- What treatment options are appropriate for someone my age?
- When should I follow up or seek a second opinion?
How the transition can change relationships
Rosie and Tessa discuss how perimenopause and menopause can shift the dynamics of close relationships. Mood changes, exhaustion and the emotional weight of the transition can affect how partners, family members and friends understand one another.
They emphasize validating feelings rather than minimizing them. Naming what is happening—for yourself and for the people closest to you—can make it easier to ask for support instead of carrying the experience alone.
Grief, depression and the wellness community
The episode names two experiences that often go unspoken. The first is grief: many women feel a sense of loss as their bodies and identities change, and that grief deserves space.
The second is depression. Rosie and Tessa talk about the taboo surrounding depression in wellness spaces, where there can be an unspoken expectation that the right practices should keep someone from struggling. Mindfulness can be a meaningful source of support, but it is not a substitute for professional care when depression is present.
If you are experiencing persistent low mood or thoughts of harming yourself, please contact a healthcare provider. In the United States, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time.
What’s covered, minute by minute
Book mentioned in this episode: Her Blood Is Gold by Lara Owen.
Explore the conversation
Questions explored in this episode
What is early menopause?
Early menopause is menopause that happens between ages 40 and 45. Menopause before age 40 is called premature menopause, also known medically as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI).
How common is early menopause?
According to the U.S. Office on Women’s Health, about 5% of women go through early menopause naturally. Smoking and certain medicines or treatments can also cause menopause to happen earlier.
Can you be too young for perimenopause?
Perimenopause most often begins in a woman’s forties, but it can start earlier for some women. Being younger than expected does not rule it out, which is why tracking symptoms and discussing them with a qualified healthcare provider matters.
Does early menopause affect long-term health?
Women who go through early or premature menopause may have a higher risk of health problems such as heart disease and osteoporosis, because they live longer without the benefits of higher estrogen levels. A healthcare provider can discuss steps to lower those risks.
Is it normal to feel grief or depression during early menopause?
Many women feel sadness or grief over the changes that come with early menopause, and some experience depression. These feelings deserve support. Persistent low mood should be discussed with a qualified healthcare or mental-health professional.
How can I advocate for myself if I think I am in early menopause?
Track changes in your cycle, sleep, mood and physical symptoms, and bring that record to your appointment. Ask what could be causing your symptoms, what should be ruled out and what early menopause would mean for your long-term health.
You are not too young to take what your body is telling you seriously.
Rosie offers mental health coaching grounded in mindfulness, self-compassion and practical tools for navigating perimenopause, early menopause and major life transitions. Coaching is available in English and Spanish.
This page summarizes topics discussed in the episode and is intended for educational purposes. It does not provide medical or mental-health advice, diagnosis or treatment. Seek qualified professional care for persistent, severe or concerning symptoms.