Symptom check
Am I in Perimenopause? Symptom and Cycle Check
Answer three short sets of questions about your periods and symptoms. The check shows where your cycle pattern sits on the staging system menopause specialists use, which symptoms stand out, and gives you a one-page summary to bring to your doctor. No email, no sign-up.
Reviewed October 24, 2026 · Free to use · Your answers stay on this device
- 3 minutesto complete
- 14common symptoms covered
- 1 pageprintable summary
- 0answers sent anywhere
The Stages Menopause Specialists Use
The STRAW+10 system, agreed by an international panel in 2012, stages the years around menopause mainly by changes in the menstrual cycle, because hormone tests swing too much to time the transition on their own.
Early transition
Cycles start to vary
The length of the cycle changes by 7 days or more from one cycle to the next, and the change keeps recurring. Sleep, mood and focus often shift first.
Late transition
Periods skip
Gaps of 60 days or more appear between periods. Hot flashes and night sweats are most common in this stage.
Menopause
12 months without a period
Menopause is confirmed in hindsight after 12 months with no period. Bone and heart protection matter most in the years that follow.
What to Do With Your Results
Print the summary or save it as a PDF and bring it to your next appointment. A clear list of which symptoms bother you most, and how your cycle has changed, makes a short visit far more useful.
Symptoms of perimenopause overlap with thyroid problems, blood sugar swings and low iron. Dr. Samia McCully checks those before deciding whether hormones fit, as the perimenopause lab testing guide explains.
Common Questions
Is this a diagnosis?
No. The check places your cycle pattern on the published STRAW+10 staging system and lists your symptoms. Only a clinician who knows your history and labs diagnoses perimenopause or rules out other causes, such as thyroid problems.
Why does the check ask about my cycle instead of hormone levels?
During perimenopause, hormone levels swing from day to day, so a single blood test often misses the transition. The staging system menopause researchers use relies mainly on changes in cycle length and skipped periods for that reason.
What if I take birth control or had a hysterectomy?
Hormonal birth control, hormonal IUDs, a hysterectomy or an endometrial ablation change or hide your periods, so cycle-based staging no longer applies. Your symptoms and age become the main guide, and the summary notes that for your doctor.
Is this the Menopause Rating Scale?
No. This is a symptom checklist, not a validated score, so it does not produce a number to compare with research studies. It is built to organize what you notice into a clear list for your appointment.
Sources and How This Tool Works
The cycle questions follow the menstrual criteria of the STRAW+10 staging system (2012). A persistent difference of 7 days or more between consecutive cycle lengths marks the early menopausal transition; a gap of 60 days or more marks the late transition; 12 months without a period marks menopause. The symptom list covers symptoms common in perimenopause and is a checklist, not a validated score. Safety questions come first and override every other result. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent to Wellness Architecture or anyone else.
- Harlow SD et al. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10 (STRAW+10). Menopause and Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2012
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Clinical Practice Guideline No. 13: management of vasomotor, sleep and mood symptoms of menopause, October 2026
- The Menopause Society. 2022 hormone therapy position statement
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
General health information, reviewed October 24, 2026. This tool informs; it does not diagnose, treat or replace care from a licensed clinician, and the linked sources' current versions control. Periods that stop before age 40, bleeding after menopause and very heavy bleeding all need a clinician's evaluation. If something feels urgent, call 911 or your doctor.
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