Stella FAQs
Our most frequently asked questions about Stella.
What is Stella?
Stella is an online clinic that has everything you need to help perimenopause and menopause symptoms. We offer access to virtual visits with board-certified clinicians experienced in women’s health, tailored lifestyle change plans through our menopause app, and prescriptions for FDA-regulated hormone therapy, if right for you.
Get started with our online assessment which asks questions about your health. Our safe and thorough process checks for 65 risks and alternate conditions. It is designed for those aged 35 to 70 years.
In addition to your virtual visit, you will get access to our menopause app. It offers tailored lifestyle change support with access to coaching and a library of expert articles, video workouts, audio meditations, recipes and more. You can join our community for regular virtual Q&As with experts.
How do I get in contact if I have a question?
You can email us at support@onstella.com and we’ll get back to you.
How much does it cost?
Our virtual visits are priced as follows:
- Initial visit: $200 not including medication
- Follow-up visit: $90 not including medication
Our customer care team is here to answer any questions you have, email support@onstella.com.
What is menopause?
Menopause is a natural part of aging and typically happens between ages 45 and 55, although some experience it earlier. Menopause can also follow cancer treatment or surgery to remove your ovaries or uterus.
Menopause stages
- Perimenopause is when your body’s hormone levels change, such as estrogen. You may notice irregular periods and other symptoms, such as mood changes, sleep issues, hot flashes, weight gain, joint pain, and more. This stage lasts 4-8 years on average
- Menopause is when you have not had a period for 12 months. This is typically in your early 50s. This can be hard to work out if you are using hormonal contraception
- Postmenopause is the time after menopause and symptoms can continue. There are more than 30 symptoms, such as brain fog, night sweats, fatigue and low energy, and bladder problems. What you experience can be affected by your health history, lifestyle, and age
Remember, you do not have to wait until symptoms severely affect your life before seeking treatment – you deserve support to feel better.
What is hormone therapy (HT)?
Hormone therapy (HT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), is an effective treatment for many symptoms, but it is not suitable for everyone. Looking after your lifestyle, such as your diet, exercise, sleep and stress levels, can help many symptoms too.
Read more about HT:
Why don't I need a blood test?
We rarely need to test your hormones to identify your menopause stage. We will perform a blood test if your assessment indicates it would be helpful, but most women do not need any tests before starting treatment.
If you have not had a period for 12 months, you can be very confident that you are in menopause and confirmation by testing your hormone levels is rarely required. Likewise, there isn’t a reliable hormone test to find out if you are in perimenopause, but bleeding patterns and symptoms are accurate in people over age 44. You can read more in this article.
You may have seen that some clinics and providers recommend one or more hormone tests, but this may be more about generating revenue than understanding your health. It is difficult to get a reliable understanding of your reproductive hormone levels from single tests as they are constantly fluctuating in perimenopause. Your FSH, estradiol, and progesterone levels could be radically different even by the next day. The danger is that you and your healthcare provider will make the wrong decisions based on a false-positive or false-negative test.
A large study concluded that the most accurate way to decide whether you are in perimenopause or menopause is by careful evaluation of your bleeding history and symptoms. Currently available hormone tests do not increase the accuracy of diagnosis. Symptoms include:
- Hot flashes
- Fatigue
- Mood changes, including low mood, anxiety, and irritability among others
- Sleep issues
- Problems with memory and concentration, including brain fog
- Weight gain
- Vaginal symptoms, including burning, tightness, dryness, painful sex, itching
- Urinary symptoms, including recurrent infections, needing to pee more often and pain when peeing
Our assessment evaluates all of these symptoms. Read more about menopause and blood tests.
How do I change my medication or renew my prescription?
Changing medication
You may notice side effects shortly after starting HT, which usually wear off after 1-3 months. If side effects do not settle or your symptoms haven’t improved, your medication may need to be adjusted or changed. Please contact us immediately if you want to review your medication. Always read the information leaflet that comes with your medication.
Repeat prescriptions
Your first prescription is for 90 days. We will email you before your prescription runs out, inviting you to complete a repeat assessment and book a follow-up visit.
The clinician will discuss any treatment changes after reviewing your assessment and renew your prescription if your treatment is working.
Our customer care team is here to answer any questions you have, email us at support@onstella.com.
What types of HT do you prescribe?
We prescribe FDA-cleared medications that are proven to be safe and effective treatments for menopause symptoms including hot flashes, mood changes, and sleep problems. FDA-regulated medications are manufactured to exacting standards that are constantly monitored.
We prescribe body identical forms of estrogen and progesterone first, including gels and patches. We recommend body identical progesterone capsules. When body identical HT is produced by regulated pharmaceutical companies, there are strict quality control processes in place to guarantee the strength, purity, and safety of the product supplied.
HT is also referred to as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).
Which symptoms do you support?
There are more than 30 perimenopause and menopause symptoms and we can help with most of them, such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, mood changes, sleep issues, brain fog, low energy and fatigue, and more!
How much will my insurance or employer cover?
Some private or employer-designated insurance providers may pay for Stella, but this depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. If you opt to pay out-of-pocket, we can provide you with the appropriate receipts to provide to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement.
You may be able to use your HSA (Health Saving Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Account) to pay for Stella at checkout.
We are rapidly expanding our insurance coverage to widen access to our menopause care.
How does virtual care with Stella compare to an in-person visit?
Virtual care is much more convenient without the travel and waiting time you might experience with an in-person visit.
When you talk to a clinician online you get the same high-quality advice. They will review your menopause assessment answers before your consultation so you can make the most of your time together.
What if HT is not right for me?
HT is not suitable for everyone. A healthier lifestyle can help many symptoms too.
In addition to your virtual visit, you will get access to our menopause app. It offers tailored lifestyle change support with access to motivational coaching to set wellness goals and a library of expert articles, video workouts, audio meditations, recipes and more. You can join our community for regular virtual Q&As with experts.
