Menopause Isn’t Just for Women: What Gender Diversity Teaches Us About Hormones
When most people hear the word menopause, they picture a very specific scenario: a cisgender woman in her early fifties having hot flashes because her ovaries stop producing estrogen.
But hormones—and the people who experience hormonal transitions—are much more complicated than that.
A growing body of research is challenging the idea that menopause is only a “women’s health” issue. Instead, menopause may be better understood as a hormonal transition that can occur in many bodies, at many times, and in many contexts.
This shift in perspective matters for everyone—but it may be especially relevant in bendy populations, where hormone sensitivity, connective tissue biology, and neurodivergence already intersect in complex ways.
Menopause as a Hormonal Transition
The traditional medical definition of menopause is simple: 12 months after the final menstrual period, usually occurring between ages 45 and 55.
That definition works for many people.
But it doesn’t capture the full range of experiences people have with hormonal change.
For transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse individuals, menopause-like symptoms may arise through several different pathways, including:
natural ovarian aging
surgical removal of ovaries
gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT)
interruption or dose changes in estrogen therapy
testosterone therapy suppressing ovarian function
menstrual suppression medications
In these situations, hormonal shifts can produce symptoms very similar to menopause—hot flashes, sleep disruption, mood changes, brain fog, or genitourinary symptoms—even if someone never fits the traditional definition of menopause (Gravely & Brotto, 2025).
Because of this, researchers are increasingly suggesting that menopause should be viewed as a hormonal state rather than a gendered life stage.
Hormones, Identity, and the Body
Hormonal transitions don’t just affect physiology—they can also shape how people experience their bodies.
Studies exploring menopause among transgender and nonbinary individuals show a wide range of responses to hormonal change. Some people report relief or gender euphoria when menstruation stops. Others experience increased gender dysphoria, particularly when symptoms draw attention to body parts that feel gendered in uncomfortable ways (Toze & Westwood, 2024).
For some people, hormonal changes prompt reflection about identity. For others, menopause simply feels like another physiological transition.
What’s important is that there is no single narrative.
Menopause can be experienced as liberating, distressing, neutral, or all of the above.
The Role of Language in Care
One of the most consistent barriers described by transgender and nonbinary individuals navigating menopause isn’t just hormones—it’s language.
Menopause is still widely framed as a “women’s health issue.”
For many people, that language fits perfectly. But for others, it can make accessing care feel alienating or even unsafe.
Researchers studying gender-diverse menopause experiences consistently report:
difficulty finding relevant health information
discomfort discussing symptoms with clinicians
delayed care seeking
healthcare providers overlooking menopause symptoms altogether (Drysdale et al., 2024)
This is why many clinicians now emphasize an important principle:
Language is a clinical intervention.
The words used in healthcare settings—phrases like “female hormones,” “women’s health,” or gendered body terminology—can either reduce or intensify gender dysphoria.
Small shifts can make a meaningful difference. Instead of assuming menopause only applies to women, clinicians might talk about:
“people experiencing menopause”
“people with ovaries”
or simply “hormonal transitions”
Inclusive language doesn’t erase anyone’s experience.
It simply makes room for more people within the conversation.
Why This Matters in Bendy Menopause
At Bendy Menopause, we often talk about how menopause intersects with hypermobility, connective tissue biology, and nervous system regulation.
But another intersection is becoming increasingly visible: gender diversity and hypermobility.
Emerging research suggests that gender diversity appears to be more common among people with hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers–Danlos syndromes than in the general population. The reasons are not fully understood, but potential explanations include shared neurodevelopmental traits, differences in connective tissue biology, and the higher prevalence of neurodivergence in both communities.
What this means clinically is simple:
Many people navigating hypermobility and menopause may not identify as cisgender women.
Yet most menopause education—and much of the online conversation—still assumes that menopause belongs exclusively to women.
For bendy people, whose bodies already challenge many traditional medical assumptions, this narrow framing can create additional barriers to care.
When menopause intersects with hypermobility, symptoms can already be amplified:
joint instability and musculoskeletal pain
autonomic dysfunction (such as POTS)
mast cell activation symptoms
fatigue and sleep disruption
cognitive fog
If someone also encounters gender-exclusive language or healthcare environments that feel unwelcoming, the result can be delayed care or untreated symptoms.
Reframing menopause as a hormonal transition experienced by diverse bodies helps make menopause care more accessible for bendy populations.
What This Means at Phases Clinic
At Phases Clinic, we try to reflect this broader understanding in how we approach menopause care.
Rather than assuming menopause belongs to a particular identity, we begin with physiology.
We ask about:
organs present
current hormone exposures
symptoms
patient goals for treatment
This approach allows care to be individualized regardless of gender identity.
We also recognize that language itself is a clinical intervention.
The words used in healthcare settings can influence whether someone feels safe discussing symptoms. Whenever possible, we aim to:
ask permission before discussing potentially gendered topics
use inclusive language when appropriate
follow patients’ preferred terminology for their bodies and identities
Finally, we recognize that menopause can be experienced very differently across identities.
For some people, the end of menstruation may be deeply relieving. For others, hormonal changes may intensify dysphoria or create difficult decisions about hormone therapy.
Our role as clinicians is not to assume which experience someone will have.
Our role is to listen, understand, and support each person through hormonal transitions in ways that respect both physiology and identity.
Expanding the Story of Menopause
Menopause is often described as the “last frontier” of women’s health research.
But as our understanding of sex, gender, and hormonal biology evolves, menopause may need a broader frame.
Instead of a single narrative about midlife women, menopause might be better understood as a complex hormonal transition experienced across diverse bodies, identities, and life paths.
For bendy people—whose bodies already challenge many traditional medical assumptions—this expanded understanding may be especially valuable.
Because better menopause care doesn’t come from narrowing the definition of who menopause belongs to.
It comes from recognizing the full diversity of people who experience it.
References
Drysdale K, Burton-Clark I, Moline K. Reimagining menopause by expanding assumptions shaping research: A scoping review of gender and sexuality diverse people’s experiences and expectations.
Gravely AK, Brotto LA. The non-cisgender experience of menstruation and menopause: Literature review and recommendations. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. 2025.
Toze M, Westwood S. Experiences of menopause among non-binary and transgender people. International Journal of Transgender Health. 2024.
