Emma Günther
Introducing Clue Perimenopause
A new mode designed to help you navigate the transition to menopause
Top things to know:
Track all perimenopause-associated experiences including hot flashes, sleep changes, and mood
Learn how your body changes throughout perimenopause (the transition leading up to menopause)
Stay on top of your changing cycle with enhanced Cycle View updates
Discover how to best support yourself during this time
Perimenopause and menopause happen to half the world’s population. And yet most of us hardly know anything about it until we’re in it–and even then, support (and open conversation) can be seriously lacking. Our new Clue Perimenopause mode has been designed to help fill these gaps.
Many people understandably confuse perimenopause with menopause itself. Perimenopause is the term for your body’s transition towards menopause which can take months or years (even a decade), while menopause is the point at which your periods have come to an end (specifically when you haven’t had a period for a full year) (1).
It’s not just in your head
For months, the Clue team has been conducting in-depth interviews with women and people with cycles about their perimenopause experiences and symptoms to inform the development of Clue Perimenopause mode. The insights have been both fascinating and frustrating.
A consistent recurring theme is the way people experiencing perimenopausal changes feel confused, dismissed, and overlooked. The intensity, timing, and length of perimenopause symptoms can be so variable, that people going through it are often left with more questions than answers or solutions. Despite being a whole life stage of significant physical and mental change (due to shifts in hormones) perimenopause research and education has historically been largely absent.
According to the Society for Women’s Health Research, more than a third of women who are experiencing menopausal transition symptoms go undiagnosed. One in five women experience symptoms for more than a year before a healthcare provider formally confirms they are in perimenopause (2).
It’s about (bloody) time things changed
Clue Perimenopause was developed to help fill the gap and provide the space within your Clue app to keep tracking as you navigate the changes that come with perimenopause. It’s the Clue you know–100% based on science, and backed by a team of medical and science experts, including certified obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs), Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) and registered nurses (RNs), all ready to guide you through what you don’t know.
When the time comes, Clue Perimenopause can help you make sense of your changing cycles, track new and existing experiences, and empower you with the information to better navigate this transformative life stage.
How do I know if I’m in perimenopause?
The first stage of perimenopause, known as early perimenopause, typically starts in the mid-40s (3), but for some people it can start much earlier or later. It can be hard to pinpoint as everyone experiences different changes, but most people first notice cycle changes. In early perimenopause, cycle length typically varies by around seven days or more (4). Clue Perimenopause has an enhanced Cycle View which takes these changing cycle lengths into account and will keep you informed on the changes to your cycle.
During perimenopause, the levels of your reproductive hormones change frequently and then decline gradually, leading to new sensations, experiences, and changes (1,4). This can include hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in your menstrual cycle length or period flow (1).
Tracking your experiences can help you identify and monitor symptom patterns, changes and triggers over time. Having a detailed, data-backed health record can be both empowering and enlightening if you choose to speak to a healthcare provider.
Why should I use Clue Perimenopause?
Tracking and sharing your experiences with your healthcare provider during perimenopause can positively affect how you feel. It empowers you with knowledge and can support any decisions you might make about your care. Research has found that keeping a record of your experiences can help reduce symptoms, improve health awareness, and communication with your healthcare provider (5).
Clue Perimenopause allows you to capture and understand your patterns and changes over time. The sooner you’re aware of any patterns and triggers you might have, the sooner you can take action to improve your experience and quality of life.
Finding reliable information about perimenopause can also be a difficult and time-consuming process. Clue Perimenopause puts the tracking, and expert-led resources you need, at your fingertips. Turning an otherwise invisible and very personal experience into quantifiable data can mean the difference between being able to better manage symptoms and feel empowered, or just accepting a lesser quality of life as an inevitable part of aging.
Who is Clue Perimenopause for?
Clue Perimenopause is for anyone who knows they are, or thinks they might be, in perimenopause and wants to track their experiences to monitor changes and patterns over time. The mode is a part of Clue Plus, which means that anyone with a Clue Plus subscription can easily change to Clue Perimenopause mode without needing another app or needing to migrate your cycle history.
How to find Clue Perimenopause mode
Switching from Clue Period Tracking mode to Clue Perimenopause mode is easy. Here’s how you do it.
Open your Clue app.
Go to the More Menu in the top-right corner of the Cycle View.
Tap ‘Mode: [your current mode]’.
Switch to ‘Clue Perimenopause’ using the mode selector.
Tap ‘Switch mode’.
If you haven’t already signed up for Clue Plus, start your subscription. That’s it, all set.
What’s different about Clue Perimenopause?
In short, a lot. Your cycle can be confusing to keep track of during perimenopause, as it ebbs and flows (pardon the pun). Just being told your period is ‘X days late’ as standard period trackers typically do, is not very helpful when your cycle is naturally changing.
New Cycle View
Perimenopause can bring several changes to your cycle, both noticeable and gradual, and we recognize that you might want to track this to make more sense of what’s happening. With Clue Perimenopause, your Cycle View adapts to your changing cycle and period length, pointing out changes. You’ll also find new content and information in the ‘Learn More’ section, which is integrated with your Cycle View. These resources can support you in learning about how your cycle changes throughout perimenopause.
Perimenopause-specific tracking
Clue Perimenopause has many of the same Clue tracking categories you love, plus additional categories designed especially for perimenopause. We’ve launched 14 brand-new tracking options for Clue Perimenopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, HRT and vaginal dryness, that you can use to better understand and navigate this phase of your life. Everyone is unique, and no two people will have the same perimenopause experience. Some people will have a lot of symptoms and some may have little to none. The changes you may notice during perimenopause are due to fluctuating hormones. There are many commonly experienced symptoms of perimenopause, all of which are now trackable with Clue Perimenopause, either with dedicated options or customized tags you can create for yourself. Whatever you’re experiencing, you can track.
Be one of the first to try Clue Perimenopause so you can give us your feedback and help us shape this new mode for everyone.
