Perimenopause, according to Johns Hopkins, is a pivotal transitional time in a person’s life. It isn’t quite menopause, which occurs when one reaches 12 consecutive months without menstruating, but it does mark a period of hormonal changes with symptoms that can significantly impact a perimenopausal person’s life. Still, mystery surrounds this natural bodily event because, like many areas of reproductive health, little research centers on it. A report by Harvard Medical School published in January says that 99% of preclinical aging studies ignore menopause, further widening the gap and preventing women from accessing information vital to their quality of life.