Women are declaring a new name for perimenopause, a transitional period in their lives.
Also called the menopausal transition, perimenopause is when the body “makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Women often experience perimenopause by their mid-forties, with symptoms including irregular periods, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, mood changes, fluctuations in cholesterol levels, and changes in sexual function.
Although perimenopause can be an uncomfortable period, some women on social media are choosing to rename it “cougar puberty.”
“You know what the cool kids are calling it now?” TikTok user @radiant.rewind said in a viral video posted earlier this month, as shared by the New York Post. “Cougar puberty. You’re welcome.”
She shared her seal of approval for this name, writing in the caption: “Perimenopause got a rebrand and it’s amazing AF.”
In the comments, many people agreed that cougar puberty was the perfect title for perimenopause, given its symptoms.
“I'm 37 and in the full-blown throes of perimenopause, and I've always said it's like a second puberty,” one wrote.
“I’ve been calling it reverse puberty,” another commented, while a third agreed: “Similar to the first time around in that it just sneaks up on you and no one told you anything about it. I prefer this name, though. Thank you.”
In a video shared last year on TikTok, a woman named Lisa also explained why she thought cougar puberty was “the best term” for perimenopause.
@thee.2020 I’m three months into my cougar puberty. genx #menopause#almost50#fyp
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“Actually, I feel like I’m going through puberty, but with a whole bunch of different symptoms,” she said. “And I feel like I’m going crazy, and all these things are happening to my body that I really don’t understand.”
On Monday, another woman who goes by the username @Peace_Love_GenX said she’d also be referring to menopause, which is when a woman’s menstrual cycle ends entirely, by this new name from now on.
@simplythrivewithlisa Anyone else relate? #perimenopause
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“I was today years old when I heard somebody call menopause a cougar puberty, and now I’ll never call it anything else,” she wrote in the text over the video.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the level of estrogen in a woman’s body “rises and falls unevenly during perimenopause,” which can last an average of four years. As a result, menstrual periods can lengthen or shorten, and people can experience menopause-like symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep problems, and vaginal dryness.
Often, menstrual periods can skip a month, or even a few months, and return during perimenopause. Women can also still get pregnant during perimenopause.
However, once women have gone 12 consecutive months without having their periods, the “perimenopause period is over.” They’ve then officially reached menopause, which women often enter in their forties or fifties.
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