Congress Finally Held a Hearing on Menopause, After 200 Years. Here’s What It Means for You

For the first time, Congress formally acknowledged the menopause care gap.

That matters to every woman who has been told her symptoms are “just aging,” every woman who struggled to find an informed provider, and every woman who wondered why so little reliable information exists about perimenopause health, hormone balance for women over 40, and menopause care.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held the first-ever congressional hearing devoted to menopause. The hearing was titled “Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America.”

This was not a partisan event. It was a bipartisan recognition that women’s health after 35 deserves better research, better training, and better access to evidence-based care.

Start With the Milestone

The hearing was led by:

• Chairman Rick Scott, Republican of Florida
• Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York

Together, they issued a bipartisan call for the Government Accountability Office to evaluate federal funding and support for:

• Menopause research
• Provider training
• Menopause care
• Access to treatment

The request sends a powerful message: Menopause is not a niche concern. It is a major health issue affecting millions of women, families, workplaces, and communities.

Listen to the Experts

The hearing included testimony from experts working across research, medicine, policy, and public health:

• Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions
• Lynne M. Coslett-Charlton, MD, MSCP, FACOG, gynecologist representing the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, JD, Executive Director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law
• Suzanne Silverman Fenske, MD, FACOG, ABOIM, MSCP, double board-certified gynecologist, founder of TaraMD, and Women’s Health Ambassador for the HHS Office on Women’s Health

Their message was clear: Women need more than awareness. They need a stronger evidence base, better-informed clinicians, and practical access to care.

See the Funding Gap Clearly

The funding numbers make the problem impossible to ignore.

Research area or investment	Reported amount
NIH menopause research in 2025	About $78 million
NIH men’s health research in 2025	About $768 million
Women’s health share of NIH research funding in 2023	7.9%
Additional federal investment recommended to close the women’s health research gap over five years	$15.71 billion

In plain language:

• NIH spent roughly 10 times more on men’s health research than menopause research in 2025.
• Women’s health research represented only 7.9% of NIH research funding in 2023.
• The National Academies estimated that closing the women’s health research gap would require $15.71 billion in new federal funding over five years.
• An estimated 8 to 10 million women experience menopausal symptoms each year.

These statistics do not mean that men’s health research is unimportant. They show that menopause and women’s health have not received investment proportionate to the number of women affected.

Understand How We Got Here

For decades, medical research often treated the male body as the default. Researchers frequently excluded women from studies because of concerns about pregnancy, fertility, and hormonal changes.

That approach created lasting gaps in knowledge about how women experience disease, process medications, and respond to treatment.

The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 required women to be included in federally funded clinical trials. That law represented meaningful progress. However, inclusion alone could not repair decades of missing data.

Researchers must also analyze results by sex, study hormonal influences, and investigate conditions that affect women differently. That work remains incomplete.

The National Academies found that women’s health research funding declined as a share of overall NIH funding:

• NIH women’s health research represented 9.7% of funding in 2013.
• That share fell to 7.9% in 2023.
• Women’s health research averaged approximately 8.8% of NIH spending from 2013 through 2023.

The effects reach far beyond menopause:

• Women are about 50% more likely than men to receive an initial misdiagnosis after a heart attack.
• Since 2000, women have reported adverse drug reactions about 52% more often than men.
• Serious or fatal drug reactions have occurred about 36% more often in women.

These differences do not prove that every woman receives poor care. They do show why sex-specific research, better clinical training, and informed communication matter.

Revisit the Hormone Therapy Story

The hearing also addressed the continuing impact of the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative findings.

Early reporting created widespread fear about hormone therapy. Many women and many clinicians moved away from treatment without fully understanding how risks and benefits could vary by age, symptoms, timing, dose, delivery method, and personal health history.

Over time, researchers developed a more nuanced understanding. Hormone therapy is not automatically right or wrong for every woman. It requires individualized discussion.

The black box warning on hormone therapy labels was not removed until November 2025. That change represents an important shift in how the risks and benefits are communicated, but it does not mean hormone therapy is appropriate for everyone.

Ask an informed clinician:

• Which symptoms could be related to perimenopause or menopause?
• What are my treatment options?
• Would hormone therapy be appropriate for my age, symptoms, and health history?
• What risks apply to me specifically?
• What nonhormonal options could help?
• How should we monitor my treatment over time?

Use a structured appointment checklist to make the conversation more productive. Powerful Wellness also offers the free Perimenopause Essentials guide to help you understand common changes and prepare for your next step.

Translate the Hearing Into Better Care

A congressional hearing does not change your health care overnight. Research takes time. GAO findings must be completed. Funding decisions require action. Provider training programs take years to expand. Insurance coverage may change slowly and unevenly.

Still, this hearing can create momentum in three important areas:

1. Improve provider training

Many women still struggle to find clinicians who understand the full menopause transition. More training could help providers recognize symptoms, discuss treatment choices, and distinguish menopause-related changes from other health concerns.

2. Expand treatment research

Women need stronger evidence about hormone therapy, nonhormonal treatments, sleep, metabolism, cardiovascular health, bone health, sexual health, and brain health across the menopause transition.

3. Strengthen the case for coverage

Better research can support clearer standards for care and stronger arguments for insurance coverage of evaluation, treatment, and preventive services.

It's Not Just the Hearing: A Full Week of Movement in Washington

As of September 22, 2026, this story is moving fast.

This week in Washington has made one thing clear: the Senate hearing was not a one-day headline. It was part of a broader push across advocacy groups, Congress, federal agencies, clinicians, and patient communities to close the menopause care gap.

The scale matters:

• An estimated 75 million American women are currently in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause.
• September is Perimenopause Awareness Month.
• The need is national, not niche.

Capitol Hill advocacy is happening today

Today, September 22, 2026, more than 125 advocates from 29 states are in Washington, D.C. for the first-ever Perimenopause & Menopause Capitol Hill Day.

The day was organized by:

• Women's Health Advocates
• National Menopause Foundation
• Perry

Advocates are meeting directly with lawmakers and congressional staff to ask for practical changes, including:

• Increased research funding
• Better clinician training
• Required insurance coverage
• Workplace accommodations

That matters because women are no longer waiting quietly for the system to catch up. They are showing up informed, organized, and ready to be heard.

Accountability efforts are already underway

Following the September 16 hearing, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Rick Scott formally called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate how federal support for menopause and midlife women's health is being used and where the biggest gaps remain.

The core message behind that request is simple:

• Federal investment has not matched the size of the problem.
• Menopause and midlife women's health receive less than 1% of federal women's health research funding, according to the Senate hearing materials and related reporting.
• A more aggressive federal research agenda is needed to improve care, training, and treatment access.

This kind of review does not solve the gap overnight. It does, however, create a formal record of where women are being underserved and what needs to change next.

Access and treatment questions are also getting federal attention

The momentum did not stop with Congress.

In mid-September, several major meetings focused on real-world treatment access and gaps in care.

• September 15, 2026: federal leaders met with physicians and pharmaceutical manufacturers to look for immediate ways to improve access to estrogen patches and address ongoing shortages of hormone replacement therapies.
• September 17, 2026: the FDA held a dedicated public meeting on testosterone use in menopausal women, bringing together medical experts to review evidence, knowledge gaps, safety questions, and future research needs.

This is especially relevant if you read our earlier coverage of the estrogen patch shortage. The shortage story is no longer just about pharmacy frustration. It has become part of a larger national conversation about whether women can actually access the treatments their clinicians prescribe.

The testosterone discussion matters too. Many women with menopause-related changes in libido still face a confusing landscape of off-label prescribing, inconsistent guidance, and very limited FDA-approved options created specifically for women. A dedicated FDA workshop signals that this issue is being taken more seriously.

Health equity is finally part of the conversation

Another important shift is happening at the same time: advocates and clinicians are speaking more directly about who is being hit hardest by the menopause care gap.

Simultaneous events in Washington, including “Power in the Pause,” have centered the voices and medical experiences of Black women.

That focus is important because the burden is not evenly distributed.

• Black women often experience menopause earlier and may face longer or more severe symptom burdens.
• Barriers to informed care, symptom recognition, and treatment access can be even greater in minority communities.
• Pooled clinical data show that early menopause combined with type 2 diabetes is associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk.
• That compounding effect appears to be statistically most severe for Black women in available pooled research.

This does not mean every woman will face the same risk. It does mean menopause care should never be separated from metabolic health, cardiovascular prevention, and health equity.

Take Action This Week

Do not wait for policy changes to begin advocating for your own health.

Take these practical steps:

1. Track your symptoms. Record changes in sleep, mood, cycles, hot flashes, energy, libido, concentration, and metabolism.
2. Write down your questions. Bring a short list to your primary care visit, gynecology appointment, or menopause consultation.
3. Ask for an individualized risk discussion. Request a clear explanation of both hormonal and nonhormonal options.
4. Review your broader health. Discuss blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, bone health, mental health, and cardiovascular risk.
5. Seek a second opinion when needed. You deserve care that takes your concerns seriously.

Let this moment remind you that your symptoms are worthy of attention. Your questions are valuable. Your health does not become less important because you are entering a new life stage.

Move Forward With Informed Hope

The first congressional hearing on menopause cannot erase decades of underfunding or misinformation. It can, however, mark a turning point.

For women over 35 and 40, this is a meaningful step toward better research, stronger education, and more respectful care. It is also an invitation to become an informed participant in your own health journey.

Stay curious. Ask direct questions. Prepare for appointments. Know your options. Build a vibrant midlife reset for women around evidence, support, and practical action.

Join the Midlife Reset waitlist at midliferesets.com.

Sources

• U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging: “Half the Country, Zero Hearings”
• USA Today: “Menopause had a big week in Congress. So now what?” by Laura Trujillo, Sept. 18, 2026
• Women's Health Advocates
• FDA: Update on Estradiol Transdermal Patch Availability
• FDA: Public Meeting — Testosterone Use In Menopausal Women, Sept. 17, 2026
• Ms. Magazine: “Half the Country, a Fraction of the Research”
• National Academies: A New Vision for Women’s Health Research
• NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health
• PubMed: Early Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women With or Without Type 2 Diabetes

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Menopause symptoms and treatment needs vary. Talk with a qualified health care professional about your personal health history, risks, symptoms, and options. Seek urgent medical care for severe or concerning symptoms.