If you’ve spent any time in wellness spaces, you’ve heard cortisol talked about like it’s the enemy. The hormone that makes you hold weight, ruins your sleep, wrecks your skin, and keeps you in a constant state of anxious overdrive.

Hormone testing in perimenopause and menopause is one of the most nuanced and most frequently mishandled areas of women’s healthcare. This post is your guide to understanding why — and what to ask for.

It’s what I wish every woman walked into her annual exam already knowing — the specific tests to ask for, why each one matters right now, and how to have the conversation with your provider so you leave with answers, not just printouts.