Everything They Should’ve Taught Us About Women’s Health & Hormones

Somewhere between cycle tracking apps and career milestones, an entire generation of women is realizing something: we were never taught how our bodies actually work after our 20s.

We know what to expect during puberty. Many of us learn what happens during pregnancy. But no one ever sits us down and says, “Here’s what happens in your 30s, 40s, and beyond.”

That’s why so many women are shocked to find themselves dealing with brain fog, intense mood swings, anxiety, sleep issues, or random fatigue in their mid-thirties. For many, the assumption is stress or burnout. But in many cases, it's something deeper and hormonal.

Perimenopause, the transitional phase before menopause, can begin as early as your mid-30s. It often lasts for years and brings with it a wide range of symptoms: irregular periods, increased PMS, anxiety, memory lapses, insomnia, decreased libido, and more. And yet, many women aren’t even aware the term applies to them until their 40s or 50s, if at all.

What’s more concerning is that the healthcare system rarely acknowledges these shifts until they become severe. Women report being told they’re “fine,” that their labs look “normal,” or that it’s just stress. That dismissal not only delays support, it teaches women to ignore their bodies.

The deeper issue? A system that overwhelmingly prioritizes fertility over long-term health. Nearly 90% of women’s health funding goes to fertility-related research, products, and services. While reproductive care is essential, it creates a gap for those who are not trying to conceive or are past that chapter, and that’s a lot of women.

Once a woman is no longer in her childbearing years, support falls off a cliff. The innovation, access, and education available in her 20s and early 30s fades, just as the body is preparing for one of its most significant transitions.

At the same time, many Millennial women are hitting their professional stride. These are the high-achieving, hyper-capable women society celebrates. But underneath the ambition is often chronic stress, which has a direct impact on hormonal balance. Cortisol levels rise, sleep quality dips, inflammation increases, and cycle symptoms worsen.

For many, this becomes a silent spiral: stress causes hormone dysregulation, which leads to physical and emotional symptoms, which are then dismissed or minimized often by the women themselves. Powering through becomes a default setting.

But pushing through isn’t a badge of honor it’s a warning sign.

Women are taught to treat health as a reactive process. Wait until something breaks. Wait until the pain is unbearable. Wait until your period is irregular for six months straight. But the more we wait, the harder it becomes to heal.

The shift that needs to happen is from reaction to prevention. Proactive care isn’t complicated it’s just not commonly taught. It starts with learning to notice what feels off, getting regular hormone and nutrient testing (even when you feel fine), and building supportive lifestyle practices like strength training, stress management, and limiting endocrine disruptors in your environment.

None of this is about perfection. It’s about preparation. The way you treat your body in your 30s directly impacts how you’ll feel in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. It’s not about fearing aging it’s about owning it.

Women deserve better care and better conversations. Hormonal shifts should be part of mainstream health education—not whispered about behind closed doors. We are not “just tired,” “just stressed,” or “just aging.” We’re navigating a deeply physiological shift that deserves attention, research, and respect.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, exhausted, or unsure how to advocate for yourself this is your sign to start asking better questions, and demanding better answers.

To hear the full conversation with Ally Tam, CEO of Respin Health, and learn more about how to navigate hormone shifts, burnout, and long-term health, listen to Everything They Should’ve Taught Us About Women’s Health & Hormones on the So She Slays Podcast, now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all platforms.