Tamsen with the filmmakers and doctors on the red carpet at The (M) Factor 2 New York premiere at Hearst Tower

The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause, a perimenopause documentary

Helping millions of women prepare for perimenopause

The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause

More than a movie, it's a movement

88% of perimenopausal women linked their body and mind changes to perimenopause
79% cited hormonal shifts
56% missed feeling confident, energized or fun
Tamsen Fadal and Dr. Lisa Mosconi on set of The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause
A documentary · Premiered on PBS March 19, 2026

The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause

Before the Pause dives deeper than ever into the untold realities of perimenopause, the overlooked decade before menopause that disrupts women's health, careers, and relationships. The film confronts stigma, inequities, and health risks while highlighting solutions, showing how early awareness, personalized treatment and well-informed physicians can transform women's lives.

See the filmWatch on PBS
The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause poster

The (M) Factor 2 in the News

Joanne LaMarca and Tamsen Fadal Talk New Perimenopause Doc

Creators Of The M Factor Menopause Documentary Are Making A Prequel

The Voice St. Lucia News

M Factor 2: The Movement Continues

PR Newswire

Menopause Movement Expands: PBS to Premiere The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause, Spotlighting Perimenopause Crisis

Star Magazine

Tamsen Fadal Takes On Perimenopause with The M Factor 2: Before the Pause

mindbodygreen

After 30 Years of Being A News Anchor, Menopause Is My Most Important Story

Premiere night in New York kicked off a 10-city screening tour

Tamsen on the red carpet at the New York premiere of The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause
Denise Pines, Tamsen and Jo LaMarca Mathisen on the premiere red carpet
Denise Pines, Tamsen and Jo LaMarca Mathisen holding Peri Menopause is Hot signs
Tamsen in the screening room holding How to Menopause at the premiere
Three men at the premiere with a Man of the Pause sign
Panel discussion on stage after the premiere screening
Tamsen and Dr. Jayne Morgan speaking on the premiere panel
The premiere audience applauding

Menopause remains one of the last taboos in our talk-about-everything society

We created The (M) Factor to shine a light on the unspoken challenges women face during menopause, revealing the gaps in medical education, the disparities in treatment, and the true impact on our physical and mental health. This film is about empowering every woman to take control of her health and advocate for change.

The Facts

80% of women

experience hot flashes, sleep disruptions, joint pain, UTIs, mental health issues and decreased sexual functions during menopause.

$1.8 billion

of earnings are lost each year by women during menopause. Businesses lose an estimated $680 million in productivity each year.

15% of women

receive evidence-based interventions for menopause symptoms.

1 out of 4 Women

felt that their menopause symptoms negatively impacted their career development or work-related opportunities.

80% of Patients

with autoimmune disease are women.

The (M) Factor films

Two films, one conversation

The (M) Factor poster
Film 1
The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause
The documentary that opened the menopause conversation, seen on PBS.
See the film →
The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause poster
Film 2
The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause
The prequel on perimenopause, the decade before menopause.
You are here

The conversation continues every week on The Tamsen Show and in my New York Times bestseller, How to Menopause.

Listen to The Tamsen ShowGet the bookGet the film