Menopause is finally having its moment.
After decades of whispered conversations, dismissive medical appointments and women silently wondering why they suddenly felt anxious, exhausted, scattered, or just off, the conversation around perimenopause and menopause is moving into the spotlight. And according to local event producer Kelly Quinlan, it’s long overdue.
On June 17, Santa Cruz women will gather for a special screening of The [M] Factor 2: Before the Pause, a PBS documentary exploring the often-overlooked realities of perimenopause and menopause, at the Del Mar Theater.
For Quinlan, who is a nutritionist and natural wellness advocate, bringing the event to Santa Cruz felt deeply personal.
“It’s something I’m passionate about,” she says. “Women don’t have to suffer in silence, and I wanted to highlight natural remedies alongside traditional Western medicine.” “I knew The M Factor was being screened in other cities, so I approached the company and asked them if they would bring it here.”
Increasingly, women are realizing that symptoms they once attributed to stress, aging, or burnout may actually be connected to shifting hormones. And contrary to what many people assume, menopause itself may not be the biggest challenge.
“Perimenopause actually seems to be the bigger part of this equation,” Quinlan explains. This can be a surprisingly long phase, lasting up to 10 years. And it’s beginning earlier than many women realize. “The demographic is changing,” she says. “They’re saying symptoms can begin as early as 38.”
While hot flashes and weight gain tend to dominate the public conversation, Quinlan says many women are blindsided by symptoms they never associate with hormone changes in the first place.
“Anxiousness is a huge one,” she says. “Joint pain, inflammation, hair loss, brain fog, sleep disruption. It really changes so much of our makeup.”
The challenge, she believes, is that many women are still being treated symptom by symptom rather than having the larger hormonal picture addressed.
“I think the medical system often addresses the symptoms with antidepressants and sleep aids instead of looking at how to help balance a woman’s hormones,” she says.
That doesn’t mean Quinlan sees conventional medicine and holistic approaches as opposing forces. In fact, one of the goals of the event is to present women with a full range of options, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), functional medicine and natural support strategies.
“It’s not either-or,” she says. “Bioidentical hormones can be a great option for many women.”
She’s passionate about helping women understand the role lifestyle, nutrition and holistic support can play during the transition.
“Symptom relief is important, but addressing the underlying imbalance is where we’re going to find the greatest relief and long-term quality of life,” Quinlan says.
I found myself nodding along throughout our conversation. So many symptoms women experience during perimenopause, anxiety, sleep issues, inflammation, mood changes, and weight fluctuations, overlap almost perfectly with what we often label simply as “stress.”
And stress has become the catchall explanation for nearly everything. This may be one reason so many women feel dismissed.
While millions of women are navigating these changes, many still feel strangely alone in the process.
“We don’t really talk about menopause,” she says. “It’s almost treated like a bad word.”
And unlike adolescence or pregnancy, perimenopause doesn’t arrive with a clear cultural roadmap. Friends may not be experiencing symptoms at the same age or in the same way. Many women quietly wonder if what they’re experiencing is normal.
“There are 75 million women in perimenopause right now, and one million enter it every year,” she says. “Collectively, we’re a force.”
The event, which is sponsored by Symphony Natural Health and New Leaf Community Markets, aims to create opportunities for women to continue connecting long after the screening ends.
“We’re hoping this becomes more than just a one-night event,” Quinlan says. “Maybe book clubs, hiking groups, ways for women to stay in conversation and support each other through this phase of life.”
In many ways, menopause itself seems to be undergoing a cultural transformation. What was once framed almost exclusively as decline is increasingly being viewed as a major physiological transition deserving of education, support and nuanced care.
And perhaps most importantly, women are beginning to realize they don’t simply have to “push through it.”
As Quinlan puts it, “We don’t just want symptom relief. We want answers.”
See it: 7pm Wednesday, June 17. Doors Open 6pm; Screening, 7pm; Q&A with experts, 8pm; Del Mar Theater, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz; Tickets: $25; eventbrite.com
